IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

NemID provides the means for secure digital communication. More than 3.2 million Danes now use it, with over 2.9 million using it for both banking and the public sector. In the future, NemID is expected to facilitate much greater use of self-service in citizens' contacts with the municipalities, regions and State authorities.

Der deutsche Signatur-Spezialist "secrypt" hat mit "digiSeal" die erste Software präsentiert, mit der elektronisch signierte Dokumente beweisbar und rechtsverbindlich auf Papier ausgedruckt werden können. Das komplette Dokument wird dazu in einem 2-D-Barcode gespeichert und kann jederzeit authentisch und verfälschungssicher ausgedruckt werden.

Internet is very much a part of modern life; today online world has pierced in every aspect of our lives such as online shopping, banking or chatting. Not only e-commerce is continuously growing, online services from public sector are also increasingly used throughout Europe. They provide a more convenient and efficient way for the public to access their government services and reduce the frequency of the time-consuming visits to their local government offices.

This follows an earlier collaboration and the publication of the ‘Security Issues in Cross-border Electronic Authentication’ paper.

In the new report, ‘Mapping security services to authentication levels’, the authors explain eID management and authentication using real world examples. They detail the key concepts needed to understand why a common EU-wide approach to quality and security is necessary for the providers and users of electronic services. Such services may include electronic tax declarations or benefit receipts from health care services based on identification using an eID card.

The first SIM cards equipped with the security certificate required for the mobile signature are now being offered by Elisa, Finland’s second-largest mobile network operator. The basis for this is the UniverSIM product line from international technology group Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) with signature functionality and encryption mechanism.

In February 2010, the government launched IDéNum, a programme for the creation of highly secure single electronic identity that would replace the many online identification means (including electronic certificates, passwords, logins, etc) required for using web services.

In "US Department of Energy Signs On to J2EE" (JavaWorld, May 2002), Jian Zhong and Mike Lehr discussed, at the architectural level, how to create a secure single sign-on (SSO) service for multiple n-tier Web applications.

At the head of the security features is the ability to access all applications after one sign-on process, backed up by self-service password resets, which overcomes the expensive hassle of calls to a helpdesk.

"There are organisations out there who are viewed as highly good at verifying you are who you say you are. We shouldn't be re-inventing that wheel."

Appearing alongside Maude before the Commons Public Administration Select Committee, Ian Watmore, chief operating officer of the Efficiency and Reform Group, said "If the banks have a good ID platform, we will not need to build our own but re-use market-based solutions that already exist."

Hans Price Academy is introducing the new biometric cashless catering facility by the start of next term for its 735 students.

Letters are being sent home to parents this week to inform them of the new initiative and ask for their views.

The new technology, which has already been installed in the canteen, is being introduced so students do not have to bring cash to class to pay for their dinners.

Germany's pensions administrator and labour department are implementing online authentication systems in a deal worth almost €10m (£6.7m).

Microsoft und der kalifornische IT-Riese HP haben für Regierungen und Behörden ein neues System zur Verwaltung von Identitäten bereitgestellt. Das "National Identity System" (NIS) ist eine .NET-basierte Lösung und erlaubt öffentlichen Stellen kostengünstig eine umfassende und flexible Zugangs- und Sicherheits-Infrastruktur zu implementieren.

Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said yesterday the high number of residency applications marriages between Pakistanis and EU citizens from the Baltic states was a concern. He had asked his officials to examine as “a matter of urgency” the possibility of the deployment of biometric technology to all visa applications from Pakistan.

There were 1,894 applications for residency based on marriage to an EU citizen in 2010. Some 378 of these applications were made by Pakistanis, 172 were to Latvians and 39 to Lithuanians.

Banks will approach the Reserve Bank of India for more time to introduce Aadhaar biometric validation as an additional measure of authentication for card transactions.

RBI, on November 26, had told banks that all new cards must be enabled for both EMV chip and PIN and Aadhaar (biometric validation) acceptance. Senior bank executives said details needed to be worked out on the utility of biometric features, cost implications of introducing such features across the network and the time required to make the infrastructure capable for such features.

Not really, says the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the agency that issues the 12-digit Aadhaar numbers and is pushing for biometric authentication for credit card and ATM transactions. But bankers disagree. Besides the travails and risks of a new technology, upgrading each and every automated teller machine and point of sale terminal at thousands of merchant outlets will not come cheap, they argue.