Hello everyone
This is the running update from the Executive Director. Have questions or comments? Suggest some added information or edits? Contact Colin at kantarainitiative dot org.
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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!
The IAWG has a continual slew of similar calls for input on its slate. It works on these around its main role as the steward of the Identity Assurance program and its associated Trust Framework, which has constant maintenance and improvement cycles throughout the year. The current consultation is on the European Union's eIDAS regulation, Implementing Acts and the success or otherwise of the strategy, led by Individual contributor Mark King. Thank you Mark! Globally acknowledged as we are, there is a never ending stream of requests for our input. We need more volunteers to lead work and sponsors to support the effort. If the current global conditions find you with some spare time, please contribute it to Kantara, where, now more than ever, there are more more requests to engage and more work as a result landing on our plate.
Kantara Individual Contributor member, and globally acknowledged privacy expert, John Wunderlich did just that. Juggling his client work, along with a stint temporary stint as Chair of the ISI-WG, John also put his hand up to spin up the much anticipated Kantara mDL Discussion Group. This DG will focus on rounding out the ISO 18013-5 mDL standard's privacy and security recommendations in Annex E - a critically essential success factor to enable the development of the fledgling global mDL ecosystem. Some of you may have seen and heard John (and Kantara President Matt) speaking on Secure Technology Alliance's Webinar #3 (note that there were some technical issues impacting this session but it is being re-recorded). Our collective hats off to you John Wunderlich. We applaud your quiet resolve and magnanimity. Give John, and the Leadership Council, a few weeks to get the Charter approved and for Staff to build the wiki space and we will let you know when the site is up and the GPA ready for you to acknowledge.
The IAWG also completed work sponsored by ID.ME to develop Service Assessment Criteria (SAC) at Assurance Level 3 for Identity Assurance (IAL3), Authentication Assurance (AAL3), and Federation Assurance (FAL3) of NIST’s SP 800-63 Revision 3. These SAC are currently undergoing Public and IPR Review. Thanks to ID.ME for its support in developing this important part of Kantara’s Identity Assurance Framework.
Kantara Europe was busy as usual coaching existing NGI_Trust projects and, as mentioned last month, working with a large consortium on a new funding bid for 2021. It‘S project name is Demoiselle with a focus on Long Term Security of Systems, Systems of Systems and Organizations & Societies all through policy, process and technology planes. This is more IoT oriented than Kantara's traditionally known core capabilities but, with IDoT becoming so relevant now and having the global reach to expertise that we do, the consortium sought out Kantara to fill this much needed gap in its enviable line-up of partners.
I want to round out this month's blog with a hat-tip to the Board. All summer-long it has been undertaking a deep strategic review of Kantara - the organization’s capabilities, its vision and mission, and its role in the global ecosystem. The last review of this kind took place in 2016, the year I took up the post of ED. In the intervening five years, Kantara has changed in nearly every dimension, with the exception of its foundational ethics and ethos which remains as the Founders chartered it back in 2009. 2020, Kantara's 11th year of operation seemed an entirely appropriate year to review and reset. If you have a futurist view of Kantara please let the Board know by emailing directors at kantarainitiative dot org. It aims to share its initial thoughts on the findings with you all and here on this blog next month.
Grab the last of the sun in the north or the spring skiing in the south, because the last quarter of 2020 looks set to be something of a game-changer for Kantara.
Onwards!
Kind regards,
Colin
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