Hello everyone
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This Director's Corner for September comes a few days late, such is the level of activity in Kantara in recent weeks. Some of it has been announced but there is another major announcement scheduled for this week with more beyond.
Last month I mentioned how governments around the world are announcing intention to bring in legislation regarding digital identity, within a few weeks (even days!) of each other. So when I was asked by Think Digital Partners to write a piece as part of my role there on its Advisory Board, I chose to write about this topic. It is quite intriguing in one sense given just how close these announcements are to each other. But in another sense it is kind of understandable, and I go on to talk about why that might be, as well as share the scope of legislation to the extent that I am aware of it. My observations are broadly restricted to the 'five nations' common law countries because I am most familiar with them but also three of the five are Kantara members. You'll hear more on that this coming week!
I do think that there is a pattern emerging .. Kantara has a highly reputable, globally recognized assurance program fr accrediting assessors and approving applicant service providers' solutions to be conformant with a given standard - NIST 800-63-3 being most sought after in recent times. COVID-19 has put the spotlight on the need for more digital interaction with government by its citizens and consumers more broadly. Digital identity is fundamental to addressing those interactions especially if they are higher risk transactions for payments and such like from Government. Ergo, public sector interest in Kantara.
Remember that the Assurance Program uses the open and transparent structure of the IAWG to develop the assessment criteria, comprised as it is, with experts from the private, public and Higher Ed sectors as well as individuals. And all the working groups have the potential to act as steward for the frameworks and the assessment criteria for conformance to standards within those frameworks, just as the IAWG does for the Identity Assurance Framework. Alongside developing submissions to calls for contributions on digital identity-related matters as part of its global civic duty as an international commons unimpeded by barriers to participation as most non profit industry associations are, it also develops the assessment criteria needed for the accredited assessors as a group to consistently assess and report their findings for applicant service provider solutions. To these dual ends, the IAWG has had a huge few months. Firstly, the IAWG developed the level 3 criteria for N800-63-3 IAL3, AAL3 and FAL3 that are coming to the end of their All Member Ballot period. (NOTE BENE: If you are the primary representative of your organization or an individual member, please do your duty to the community by casting your vote on this important work). Secondly, last week the IAWG completed and submitted its input to the open public consultation is on the European Union's eIDAS regulation. Thank you individual contributor member Mark King leading the active and animated discussion at meetings and on the list regarding this, and to Staff (Ruth) who took it on the final straight towards submission from (appropriately) Kantara Initiative Europe.
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