Digidentity Joins List Of Approved Identity Assurance Suppliers

A second certified company, or “identity provider”, has joined the UK’s identity assurance programme, known as GOV.UK Verify.

Digidentity claims to offer safe digital communications and joins global information services group Experian which was the first to join the public beta in October.

GOV.UK Verify is the government’s new service that allows users of key services to quickly verify their identity online without the need to send paperwork.

It can now offer users a choice of organisations via which to prove who they are, each of which offers different methods and approaches to meet the same level of confidence.

The Cabinet Office notes that there are now five companies holding identity assurance verification – the final three: Mydex, the Post Office and Verizon, will join public beta when they are “ready.”

Increasing Range Of Data Available To Identity Providers

The Government Digital Service (GDS) claims it is currently working to increase the range of data sources available to certified companies.

The identity assurance programme works because certified companies are able to access a combination of official and commercially available data sources, enabling them to validate the data a person provides and establish who they are to the required level of assurance.

Identity providers will validate details providers by users against official government records and drawn information from credit agency files.

“This range of data means that to verify their identity using GOV.UK Verify today, users will need a passport and/or a driving licence and they will need to have been financially active over time, for example by holding a credit card, bank account, loan or mortgage,” claimed Janet Hughes, head of policy and engagement for the identity assurance programme.

“GOV.UK Verify will already work for most people, because the majority of people hold either a driving licence or passport and have a range of financial activity that a certified company can refer to.

“Some people won’t be able to verify their identity through GOV.UK Verify yet if they don’t have the necessary official documents and/or financial history,” she added.

The current exclusion of some people from the system is why GDS is working to expand the data available to identity providers.

It says it is working to expand the scope of the document checking service and encouraging certified companies to make more use of commercially available data sources.

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