March 13, 2006—As secure identities have become a critically important issue for citizens, governments and enterprises in the information age, the Smart Card Alliance has formed an Identity Council that will work to promote the need for better use of technologies, policies and usage solutions regarding human identity information.
To help explain the Council’s charter and mission, the group has issued a free white paper entitled “The Top 10 Hot Identity Topics.” The paper discusses top challenges associated with current identity systems and offers perspectives on how these critical issues can be addressed through policy, identity proofing processes and technology solutions.
Key issues addressed in the white paper include identity theft, the balance between privacy and security over identity information, and technology’s role in protecting identity.
Some of the primary objectives of the Identity Council are: maintaining an informed and active public voice that defines the positive aspects of identity technology solutions and responds to any public concerns regarding appropriate usage of identity technology; being an educational and informational resource for industry on technology solutions and their impact on identity management; and representing the smart card industry on appropriate methods of gathering, managing, protecting, and distributing secure identity information for use in government and commercial applications.
Twenty Smart Card Alliance member organizations are currently participating in the Identity Council, with Martin Dugan, Viisage, and Neville Pattinson, Axalto, the initial Council co-chairs. Identity Council participation is open to any Smart Card Alliance member who wishes to contribute to the Council projects.
For more information, visit the Smart Card Alliance Web site.
