The electronic ID comes to Germany

Transcription

1 The electronic ID comes to Germany

2 The electronic ID comes to Germany 1 In just a matter of months, the first three million German citizens will be provided with an electronic ID card. At the same time, numerous applications for the new ID cards are being developed and will be offered from 1 Nov Reason enough to explore these electronic IDs and their intended areas of use. The electronic ID comes to Germany After introducing electronic passports in 2005, the electronic ID card is set to make its German debut in November This ID card, which is the size of a credit card, contains, among other things, electronic proof of ID which can also be used as an internet ID if desired. This will go a long way towards simplifying future e-business and e-government processes. As part of the so-called Electronic ID beacon project, various providers are assessing the features of the new ID card from October 2009 in application tests. Lotterie-Treuhandgesellschaft mbh Hessen was one of the 30 companies chosen to participate in the tests. The lottery company was given the task of piloting a registration and age verification system for gaming applications using the electronic ID card. Characteristics of the new ID card The new ID card continues to fulfil the same photo ID function as conventional identification cards. Additionally, the electronic version offers a biometric identification feature, electronic proof of ID and a qualified electronic signature. While the biometric feature is only accessible to federal authorities (police, border control, etc.), the electronic proof of ID and signature can and should be used in the areas of e-business and e-government. The biometric identity feature consists of a digital photo, which is required, as well as the option of two fingerprints, which can also be saved to the card free of charge. The electronic proof of ID (eid), also known as the internet ID, is free as well. The eid data includes first and last name, date and place of birth, current address and date of expiry as well as card-specific characteristics.

3 The electronic ID comes to Germany 2 Areas of application for the electronic ID card Areas of application for the electronic ID are extremely broad, although the bulk of the electronic ID s use will come from its eid function. The biometric data is irrelevant for e-business applications as its use is reserved for federal authorities. It is also currently difficult to establish how the digital signature will be used. The digital signature feature is not expected to make much of an impact in the early stages, especially if providers don t change their current pricing structures. At this point, it is impossible to judge how quickly the electronic ID card will catch on (Worst case scenario: 10 years until it is fully implemented). Just as unclear is the number of citizens that will equip their card with the eid function as the inclusion of this feature is voluntary. However, it can be assumed that acceptance and use will increase if companies and authorities offer practical uses. Therefore, it will be exciting to see what the results of application tests reveal.

4 The electronic ID comes to Germany 3 As is well-known, the German Interstate Gambling Treaty forbids internet gambling in Germany. Therefore, the eid feature will not be of use in this area for the time being. However, should this legislation be repealed, the potential uses of this feature are clear. Registration could be done purely electronically and without the use of external services. But even now, there are various useful ways of integrating the electronic ID card into lottery companies business processes. Since the German Interstate Gambling Treaty has come into effect, the identity of a player must first be verified in order to participate in lotteries with high addiction potential. For this reason, lottery companies have required the use of special customer cards for participation in games like KENO or ODDSET. This kind of identity check could also take place with the electronic ID card. After entering the customer PIN correctly, the necessary data would be read from the ID card and compared to central black list data, for instance. With regards to convenience at the sales counter, it should be considered whether entering a PIN would turn some customers off. It would appear at first glance that the customer card approach is more user-friendly. The card could also be used for services from home PCs equipped with a card reader. Registration and authentication for special services, such as saving and modifying the player s selected numbers or viewing gaming history, could be enabled using the ID card. The same services could also be offered at selfservice terminals. The new functionalities can also be used for other practical purposes within lottery companies as well as other businesses and administrative bodies: For example on internet portals with single sign-on systems, controlling access to data centre operations or for registration and log-in to the D system for sending legally secure bulk-mail to customers or partners.

5 The electronic ID comes to Germany 4 Requirements for using the electronic ID card Using the card s functionalities requires an accreditation with the Federal Office of Administration together with the Federal Office for Information Security. These authorities must be provided with a legitimate reason for accessing the card s data. If the reason is justified, the company is subject to a security check which ensures that it fulfils all necessary requirements and stipulations. After paying a fee, the company is authorised to make use of the ID card functions. An eid server must either be setup by the company itself or hired from a service provider. The authorisation for using the data must be presented to a trust centre, where, in the future, it will be possible to communicate, access authorisation certificates and use industry specific blacklists. Conclusion The numerous potential uses of the electronic ID card warrant a prompt discussion of this topic. The advantages from its internal use alone are already reason enough for serious interest. The next step is to evaluate how the electronic ID card could streamline processes, ensure greater legal security and improve customer relations. collaborated closely with the Federal Ministry of the Interior (FMI) on the processes and technical design of the electronic health insurance card (ehic) and a close relationship quickly developed between the two organisations. The Ministry was responsible for aligning essential elements of the electronic ID card with the ehic. adesso has been involved in numerous FMI initiatives from day one and works in close collaboration with the executives from the FMI and the Federal Office for Information Security in the various workgroups on all topics related to secure communications (D ) and secure authentication (epass). Our experts have an in-depth understanding of the underlying mechanisms of security architectures as well as the possibilities and limitations of the eid features.

6 Berlin Dortmund Frankfurt Hamburg Cologne Munich Vienna Zurich Dortmund Stockholmer Allee Dortmund T F Berlin Rotherstr Berlin T F Frankfurt/Main Speicherstraße Frankfurt/Main T F Hamburg Pinnasberg Hamburg T F Cologne Horbeller Straße Cologne T F Munich Landsberger Str Munich T F Vienna adesso Austria GmbH Floridsdorfer Hauptstr Vienna T F info@adesso.at Zurich adesso Schweiz AG Gewerbestrasse 4 CH-8162 Steinmaur T F info@adesso.ch