back to article Hey biz – cut fraud with digital ID verification. Yes, like Verify – Maude

Building identity (ID) assurance systems into "customer registration processes" could help businesses cut the cost of fraud, a UK government minister has said. Francis Maude said the Cabinet Office is working with "like-minded organisations" to look into the potential for ID assurance services to be used more extensively in …

  1. simmondp

    Out of touch with the real world of digital business.

    Take a look at the "acid tests" for a decent identity ecosystem, remembering business and e-commerce is global and "Verifiy" fails on all accounts.

    http://www.globalidentityfoundation.org/downloads/Six_Conundrums_Of_Global_Identity_v1.0.pdf

    1. Spearchucker Jones

      Re: Out of touch with the real world of digital business.

      It's worse when you consider Kim Cameron's 7 laws of identity. How is Experian a justifiable party to a driving license renewal?!?

      It gets even crazier when you consider that GDS have written their own implementation of the SAML protocol to allow the likes of Experian to be ID providers. Why on earth would I rely on a home-grown, hand-crafted identity system from GDS when existing, proven, industrial-strength solutions (from IBM's DataPower appliance to Microsoft's ADFS) already exist?

      The GDS solution doesn't do attribute provisioning, nor does is promote privacy (like for example the privacy-enhancing technology in U-Prove). So (dramatic example) Experian could know Peter is getting STD meds, or that Paul just got laid off...

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Does he mean

    "Digital identity can reduce the need for large amounts of personal information to be shared and stored by organisations. Instead all information provided is quickly sold by the government to other companies who are not checked with the original data source for permission, as we will then own it all"

  3. Elmer Phud
    Flame

    Fraud?

    How about some work to recover the unpaid tax from your mates first instead of building smokescreens?

  4. Jimmy2Cows Silver badge

    Security is hard

    "The internet is a fundamental part of everyday life, so internet security needs to be easy and convenient..."

    Security - real, proper security - is hard. Convenient and easy security ain't secure.

    For shit like, oh I don't know, filing tax returns, passport and driving licence applications, identify verification, these seem like things that demand proper security.

    Entrusting ID verification to some "approved" private 3rd party and hoping they don't screw the pooch in their eternal quest for maximum profit at minimum cost doesn't sounds like an improvement.

  5. John G Imrie

    Error in artical

    s/ID assurance/ID Card/g

    That should fix it :-)

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Do I WANT my ID verified?

    Obviously sometimes I do: tax return, passport application, bank account.

    However, mostly I don't: retailers, Twitter, forums, etc.

    The last thing I want is for verified ID to become the norm for all those transactions where it's basically none of their f***ing business who I am.

    1. Sir Runcible Spoon

      Re: Do I WANT my ID verified?

      I quite like it when my bank verifies who I am when I log in to my accounts. After all, I wouldn't want just anybody doing it.

      However, that is effective RIGHT NOW and doesn't require any additional 3rd party knowing anything about my banking details.

  7. tony2heads

    but..

    Wouldn't this involve a company using encryption to keep users data safe; surely Cameron can't approve of it.

    Or does 'approved 3rd party' mean it isn't safe at all - in which case it will be abused.

  8. Nick L

    go with some one you trust...

    Bankid, popular in the Nordics, is bank issued and can be used on some government services. It exists, and is proven. Why not take that route?

    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

      Because Not Invented Here and therefor no trough to dip one's friends' snout in.

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