Secure Identity Alliance Rolls Out New Initiatives, Research

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The Secure Identity Alliance which focuses on securing eDocuments for eGovernment activities launched two new initiatives and rolled out additional eGovernment research highlighting security trends. Alliance board members include 3M, Gemalto, Morpho (Safran) and Oberthur Technologies.

The first initiative, the eDocument Security Awareness Model (eSAM) – gives governments and public sector organizations a self-assessment tool to benchmark current and future eDocument projects. The model covers every element of the eDocument lifecycle: from enrolment and issuance, through document design and personalization, to support processes. eSAM users will be able to analyze their programs against best practice criteria in each of these areas to run and test possible scenarios, and benchmark projects against current operational deployments across the world. Any data inputted by authorities within the tool will be fully anonymized, and a detailed report created that identifies potential areas for improvement and development.

The second initiative is the eServices Provision Tracker (eSPT). This program will offer analysis of the emerging market for government eServices. The report will look at live implementations, the credentials chosen and the identity services provided. The output will be a market sizing and reference tool that offers government agencies the intelligence they need to build the next generation of secure, cost effective eServices. eSPT will have an online community where officials can discuss regional and international trends in eGovernment services.

According to research done by the Alliance and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), eGovernment services are expected to be a $50 billion market by 2020. The report notes the need for secure personal identification management as government services are more often accessed and offered online. To that end, companies and public sector organizations that can gain public trust on privacy and security are likely to reap the rewards of this market.

“Strategies must be put in place now to assure those processes are robust and trusted by the citizens,” Frédéric Trojani, Chairman of the Board of the Alliance said in a statement. Europe and Asia are projected to have the fastest growth of eGovernment services, although best practices emerging from both regions could be a model for US implementations. US eGovernment services lag behind many other developed economies while user fees for those services continue to climb.