DTLab report outlines steps to ensure safe, secure digital services for citizens

When it comes to safe, seamless and secure access to digital services for citizens, it is important to think big, be flexible, prioritize collaboration and ask a lot of questions in developing governance. So says a new report from the Digital Trust Laboratory of Canada (DTLab) covering five key areas of identity and access management (IAM) for digitized services.

A release from DTLab says the report, sponsored by the Government of Yukon’s Department of Highways and Public Works, recommends preparing to transition to digital credentials through pilot programs and continuous monitoring of progress and trends on national and international levels.

“The recommendations outlined in this report provide actionable guidance for all levels of government, and their partners, that are looking to prioritize security, privacy protection and inclusivity when it comes to accessing digital citizen services,” says Cosanna Preston-Idedia, VP of program delivery and government relations at DTLab.

In preparing the report, DTLab focused on questions around trust, assurance and access. It posed its questions to seven jurisdictions, four privacy commissioners, five solution providers and a pan-Canadian government expert. One key question was whether single sign-on platforms for government digital services should support data brokering for relying parties within government or between government programs. As usual with digitized services and digital identity, interoperability is a challenge.

A major takeaway from the report is that ensuring safe, seamless and secure access to digital citizen services requires a program view. This is no basic IT project, but an iterative process that requires a long-term strategy plan, a formal governance structure, a cross-functional collaborative team, investment in capacity building and a user-centric approach rooted in privacy-by-design principles. A collaborative approach to procurement is also recommended.

In the end, there are no simple answers to some of the questions DTLab set out to explore. Digital identity and digital transformation are moving targets in a tech landscape transformed by AI and at constant risk from fraudsters and scammers. Being nimble is as important as innovating.

“By applying the recommendations outlined in this report, governments at all levels across Canada can position citizen digital services access management programs as business and technology ready in the short and long-term,” says the report in its conclusion. “Keeping pace with current and emerging trends, being seen as a strong collaborator, while ensuring the security, privacy, and convenience of services will allow jurisdictional digital citizen services teams to be adaptable and effectively stay up-to-date while addressing evolving needs.”

Article Topics

Canada  |  digital government  |  digital identity  |  digital trust  |  Digital Trust Laboratory of Canada  |  identity access management (IAM)