April 2019 Monthly Member Bulletin
- Executive Director Message
- Security Federal Identity 2019 Event
- Successful Payments Summit Explores Emerging Technologies
- Upcoming Alliance Webinars: IoT Security
- Council Highlights
- Upcoming Forum Webinar: Contactless Open Payments for Transit
- New Forum Resources
- Welcome New Member
- CSEIP Training, Exam and Recertification Dates
- Follow the Alliance on Social Media
Executive Director Message
The Answer to Digital Trust Is Already Here
How do you trust someone you don’t know, can’t see, and isn’t actually in front of you?
That was the question raised in an article I read recently on establishing a system for trust in the digital world. It got me thinking about what’s missing from the modern marketplace that is challenging potential users like me to have a trusted relationship with service providers, such as my New York Times electronic-only subscription, when they don’t know me, can’t see me, and are not present when I make a transaction.
Most people of my generation remember when there was no internet. When you wanted information, you went to the corner store to buy a newspaper (with cash) or to the library. If you wanted to open a bank account, you walked into a local branch and presented multiple forms of ID, such as a paper Social Security card, a library card, and a utility bill with your address listed. Then you used a pen to sign some forms and got a carbon-copy receipt for proof of your transaction.
That might sound burdensome to younger readers, but consider that we’ve traded all of that manual access to information and money in the bank for online access based on our ability to manage hundreds of digital forms of identity and authentication – something which is also burdensome and unreliable. For me, these digital identification tools are in my possession only because I have the education and resources to have ubiquitous access to the internet and some tech-savvy people in my life to show me how things work. There are millions of people on the other side of the digital divide who can’t buy a newspaper or lack transportation to the library or a bank branch, so don’t have the manual access that I had 40 years ago to these same resources.
So far, there’s no solution for how a user like me can establish trust with a service provider when that service (called a relying party) does not know me, can’t see me, and isn’t present when I’m trying to access the service. What is missing is the connecting tissue to support that trust between two unknown (and untrusted) parties.
Someone who already has a relationship with me, and who knows something about me, could represent me to that service provider, if that service provider had some type of business relationship with that someone who knows me. That someone is considered a trust provider because they are in a position to assert that I am who I claim to be. That trust provider can do this for many people like me. A trust provider could be my bank, my employer, my local government or a Federal government entity like the U.S. Postal Service. The trust provider could establish terms to satisfy the needs of the service provider so that the service provider has greater confidence doing business with me, an unknown user. To automate the exchange of digital identity information about me, the trust provider could look for a digital identity service provider to bridge the information exchange between the user and the service provider.
A network is needed to enable this digital trust exchange between users and service providers on a larger scale. A network like this already exists and handles trillions of payments transactions per day between consumers and retailers and banks – it is our global payments network. Maybe we should begin by looking at this network and asking ourselves, why reinvent the wheel to solve this digital trust problem?
Securing Federal Identity 2019 – Register Today
We invite you to join us for Securing Federal Identity 2019, a comprehensive coverage of efforts toward strong authentication technology. This event is open to all individuals and organizations interested in learning about the role of secure identity and authentication in government programs, and will be held June 4-5 at the Hilton Crystal City in Arlington, VA. Early bird registration discounts are available until April 26, 2019 – take advantage today! New at this year’s event will be an optional half-day add-on mobile identity workshop at the conclusion of the second day; the Mobile Identity Workshop will explore mobile drivers’ licenses and the federal government’s use of various mobile identity technologies solutions. Please note that this June 5th afternoon workshop is a separate event requiring separate registration; you can find all you need by visiting www.securingfederalidentity.com.
Planned are keynotes, roundtables and panels featuring a select group of government and industry speakers, and an exhibition area featuring security companies and their products and offerings in a casual, networking-conducive atmosphere. The first day will examine the current state of digital identity in the federal government, the risks to critical infrastructure, the security challenges the government is attempting to solve and highlights of some of the examples of digital identity in use today. Day two will look at the federal policies and security programs that are working to secure federal facilities and services and discuss the role mobile identity has in authentication and authorization activities. If you’re involved in federal identity credentialing or access security, you won’t want to miss this conference, as it will bring together the most important developments, innovations and experts in the space. Register today to take advantage of the early-bird discount!
Upcoming Forum Webinar: Contactless Open Payments for Transit
The U.S. Payments Forum is hosting a webinar on contactless open payments for transit on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, at 1pm ET/10am PT.
Registration is open at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3494504536854126081.
The webinar will provide attendees with the information necessary to understand, evaluate and accept contactless open payment cards for transit payments. The webinar will discuss:
- An overview of open- and closed-loop transit fare collection systems
- The benefits and challenges of implementing contactless open payments in transit
- A look at Transport for London’s (TfL) experience with contactless
- The U.S. Payments Forum-developed approach for accepting contactless cards and devices in transit
Speakers include: Steve Cole, Worldpay; Itai Sela, B2 Payment Solutions; and Randy Vanderhoof, U.S. Payments Forum.
Follow the Alliance on Social Media
The Secure Technology Alliance has enhanced its presence on social media with robust platforms on Twitter and LinkedIn. Here are some ways you can interact with the organization: