’Track and Trace – people or objects – using Digital Identity Solutions’
Dilan Radia, manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Digital Identity Solutions (DIS) division, says: "The emergence of scalable, robust and proven digital identity solutions means that organisations are now able to take hold of identity information like never before, bringing exciting, new opportunities, particularly in sectors such as travel, entertainment, banking and in the public sector."
Radia highlights several examples where the use of digital identity is increasingly being used by governments for passports and identification. "An ePassport is an electronic passport that is equipped with electronic chips that have the ability to store both biographic and biometric information of the holder.
"Electronic passports are going to become the standard travel document globally in the next few years. According to the International Civil Aviation Organisation, approximately 188 contracting states worldwide have agreed to implement an electronic passport issuance and border control solution by April 2010."
Another identity solution used by authorities is the eID (Electronic Identification Document), an electronic national identification card, typically a plastic card, that contains digitally embedded, citizen-related information, and is normally carried by a citizen as a means of confirming their nationality and identity within a particular country. eIDs, through security enabling technology, aim to help to prevent tampering, misrepresentation and impersonation of identities.
Another use that Radia cites is the eAuthority or eTA. "This is an electronically generated and stored authority that allows an individual passport holder travel access into a particular country. eTAs replace the traditional visa label or stamp in a passport, and are issued electronically by a computer system that is normally operated by a country’s Department of Home Affairs or Immigration and Citizenship."
There has been much talk of the eCard (Electronic Smartcard), which can be used in a variety of applications from banking to access control. eCards are used to prove the holder’s authenticity and to store their identity-related and biometric information. An eCard is able to securely store, accept or send information through contact, contactless, dual interface or hybrid mechanisms.
eTags are electronic tags, devices or objects that can be attached to or incorporated into many other products such as computers, vehicles, equipment, livestock, etc. for the purpose of identifying, locating and monitoring them using either RFID, GSM, radio or GPS tracking technology. They vary in terms of size, range and ability to store and read information for a variety of applications.
Something we are seeing on a frequent basis is the eTicket, which aims to enable organisations to deploy paperless ticketing systems and/or use traditional ticket media with embedded electronic information about the ticket or the holder. eTickets can be used to ensure the authenticity of the ticket as well as to prove the identity of the holder, and are primarily used in issuing tickets to passengers, travellers, event attendees and spectators.
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