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2020-04-01

Digital ID Wallet: Bridging the Identity Gap

Proving that we are who we claim to be is a near-essential element of modern life. We have long relied on physical credentials such as ID cards, health cards and driving licenses to provide necessary evidence. And for online authentication, Mobile ID is already hugely popular. However, what’s been missing is a solution that simultaneously addresses both digital and real world requirements. This is where Gemalto’s Digital ID Wallet comes into the picture.

The Digital ID Wallet creates a secure, smartphone-based place for all of the owner’s digital identity credentials. Alongside convenience, the Digital ID Wallet offers complete control over personal data, with the freedom to decide exactly what information to share, with whom, and when. At the same time, it provides authorities with the opportunity to create companions for physical identity documents that are straightforward to issue, manage and verify, delivering a powerful tool to fight ID fraud, reduce red tape and boost efficiency. It establishes an all-in-one identity gateway that puts people in full control of their personal data.

Rapid Expansion

Drawing on extensive feedback from pilot projects, and active participation in the ISO standardisation process, Gemalto has designed a citizen-centric solution, which has been praised by both end users and authorities. In the company’s recent U.S. pilots, 87 per cent of participants said they were highly interested in a Digital ID Wallet.

A Gemalto survey across 11 countries in 2018 found that 70 per cent of citizens would like their identity document in their smartphone, on the important provision that the app was properly secured. Not surprisingly, the market is experiencing rapid expansion, with the latest report from Market Insight predicting a 24 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for Mobile ID initiatives worldwide, fuelled not only by the digitalisation of identities, but also driving licenses and healthcare credentials.

Gemalto’s Digital ID Wallet brings three value propositions: a single, secure source for any number of different identity services; digitalisation of a comprehensive array of physical credentials and documents; and an entirely new standard in citizen privacy.

Seamless Access

The Digital ID Wallet is characterised by the variety of identity-related services it can support. Across both the online and physical domains, the wallet makes it quick and easy for the user to fulfil the task of proving their identity.

So, to open a bank account in a branch, their digitalised identity can be employed in just the same way as its physical equivalent. But now, the same credential can be used to complete the task online as well.

Similarly, if asked by a police officer to show evidence of their right to drive, citizens always have it at hand, safely embedded in their smartphone. And with the ID wallet, that driver’s license is also a gateway to additional information, such as its current status and any endorsements. With the citizen’s permission, seamless access to this real-time data can be given to police and other law enforcement officers.

Significantly, the new ID Wallet reflects the fact that providing proof of identity is far from the full story. In many cases, what really matters are particular attributes – age and address, for example. Crucially, in fulfilling such requests, the wallet enables the holder to share only what is necessary to verify a transaction, and nothing more. Consequently, it can facilitate straightforward, authorised access to age-restricted activities, without the holder having to provide unnecessary personal details.

Studies show that we are now more likely to leave our wallet at home than our smartphone, and that 90 per cent of users have a mobile device within reach at all times.

With any number of different credentials kept in a single location on a citizen’s smartphone, easy access to an ever-wider array of valued eServices is assured. With a single click, users can authenticate themselves to pay outstanding speeding fines, get the results of medical check-ups, and more.

The benefits of this immediate, 24/7 connection to public services is further enhanced by support for digital signatures, enabling contracts and other agreements to be completed, when and where it is most convenient for the user.

With the arrival of the Digital ID wallet, majority of people can finally ensure that digital documents, such as identity and healthcare credentials, driver licenses, and vehicle registration, are always kept and carried in the most secure and convenient location possible.

User Consent

In addition to a step change in accessibility, the Digital ID Wallet sets new standards for user privacy and control. While it offers the potential to support any number of different credentials in a single location, each one is securely ring-fenced.

The issuer of a digital driving license, for example, cannot access data from a digital health card in the same wallet. What’s more, the solution is built on the principle of user consent. Digital credentials remain with the user at all times, and under his or her sole control.

The presence of a Digital ID Wallet on the citizen’s smartphone also opens a direct and secure communication channel to any government department or agency that supports it. Consequently, citizens can benefit from timely reminders on vaccinations, etc. Such an approach adds a new dimension to G2C (government-to-citizen) engagement, making it more personal, and bringing government and citizens closer together.

Trusted Environment

Losing a physical wallet, or having it stolen, can be a nightmare. In the wrong hands, it might provide everything needed to clone an identity. On top of that, cancelling and replacing multiple different physical credentials is a time-consuming and laborious task for citizens.

Contrast that with losing a Digital ID Wallet. Even the most determined fraudster or criminal will be unable to leverage the citizen’s credentials, and the ID wallet can be revoked over the air and in near real time, making it unusable.

In addition, if the smartphone is not returned to the rightful owner, all the relevant digital credentials can be downloaded quickly and easily to a new mobile device. As well as ensuring accuracy, this can spare citizens and issuers the cost and inconvenience of replacing physical documents, when they expire or the holder’s status changes.

The powerful combination of security and convenience in the Digital ID Wallet is made possible by Gemalto’s expertise and experience. Whilst the mobile environment undoubtedly offers advantages, it also presents significant challenges.

Which is precisely why Gemalto has designed its Mobile Security Core to deliver best-in-class performance, protecting the Digital ID Wallet against advanced threats and malware attacks, and fulfilling the most stringent security requirements of governments. Specifically, advanced multi-layered security techniques are merged with sophisticated encryption to ensure the robust protection of sensitive information.

Reference Photo/Text:

www.gemalto.com

www.thalesgroup.com

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