Canada's Governments and Businesses Declare Intent To Secure Canada's Digital Future by Securing Online Transactions

Like the railroad, a robust and secure digital framework will connect Canadians
and open up incredible opportunities for Canada on the world stage

TORONTO, May 6, 2015 /CNW/ - Imagine a world where Canadians can go online to access their medical records, open a bank account, sign a waiver for their children's hockey camp, or even use their phone to vote. The introduction of a robust, secure, scalable and privacy-enhancing digital identification ecosystem will decrease costs for governments, consumers, and business while improving service delivery and driving GDP growth.

With the Building Canada's Digital Future strategy, released today by the Digital Identification and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) that world is one big step closer to becoming a reality for Canadians.

"In the same way that our ancestors built a national railway that linked communities from across the country and created new markets, broad adoption of a modern, robust digital identification and authentication ecosystem will link us online and create new ways of interacting with each other and with others around the world," said David Nikolejsin, DIACC Chair and Deputy Minister, Government of British Columbia.

The digital economy currently accounts for three percent of Canada's GDP ($49 billion per year) and is growing at more than 10 percent per year, significantly faster than the economy as a whole.

"Canada's economic future absolutely depends on developing a reliable, secure and convenient solution for digital identity," added Eros Spadotto Deputy Chair, DIACC; Executive Vice-President, Technology Strategy, TELUS. "A robust digital identity framework can remove fundamental friction points in our economy, unlock value, leading to growth of services, products and technologies, and transformative societal change".

Recognizing the increasingly important role that online security and privacy play in the lives of Canadians, leaders from Canada's public and private sectors came together in early 2014 to launch the DIACC, the world's first digital ID and authentication partnership.

Over the past year to group has been focused on developing a strategy that will unlock economic opportunities for Canadian consumers and businesses by providing the framework to develop a robust, secure, scalable and privacy-enhancing digital identification and authentication ecosystem that will decrease costs for governments, consumers, and business while improving service delivery and driving GDP growth. Today's release is the culmination of that work.

The group has highlighted seven key action items to be undertaken jointly by all levels of government and the private sector:

1.	Propel digital identity programs and projects forward by building upon:
	a.	our strategic advantages (Digital Canada 150),
	b.	world leading expertise (DIACC, IdentityNorth, Canadian technology companies),
	c.	historical leadership in the realm of privacy (Privacy by Design, 7 Laws of Identity, Getting Accountability Right), and
	d.	recent successes (the Government of Canada's Sign In Partner Credentials).
2.	Develop a sustainable business and operating platform, and deliver or support delivery of a live commercial service for digital identification and authentication by a specific date.
3.	Adopt a Federated Authentication and Brokered Authorization Model as a pan-Canadian standard for a robust digital identification and authentication regime, with privacy at its core.
4.	Identify requirements and develop standards and trust framework(s) to support the business and technical models for a robust digital identification and authentication regime, with privacy at its core.
5.	Address the need for legislative and regulatory change to recognize and accept digital identification.
6.	Build grassroots support for this enterprise by educating Canadians and recruiting stakeholders across all industries and sectors.
7.	Develop an industry trust mark to provide confidence in the marketplace

Members of the DIACC and signatories to the Call to Action include:

BlackBerry	Notarius	Sierra Systems
BMO Bank of Montreal	Online Business Systems	Simeio Solutions
Canada Post	PacificEast	TD Bank
CIBC	PlaceSpeak	TELUS
Credit Union Central of Canada	Province of British Columbia	Thirdstream
Deeth Williams Wall	Province of New Brunswick	Thoughtwire
Desjardins Group	Province of Ontario	Ticoon
Equifax	PwC	TransUnion
Equitable Bank	Rogers	Trulioo
ForgeRock	Royal Bank of Canada	2Keys
Government of Canada	Scotiabank
Interac	SecureKey

To download a copy of the report, please visit www.DIACC.ca

About the Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC)

Created as a result of the federal government's Task Force for the Payments System Review, the DIACC is a non-profit coalition of public and private sector leaders committed to developing a Canadian digital identification and authentication framework to enable Canadian's full and secure participation the global digital economy. DIACC members include representatives from both the federal and provincial levels of government as well as private sector leaders.

The DIACC's objective is to unlock economic opportunities for Canadian consumers, and businesses by providing the framework to develop a robust, secure, scalable and privacy enhancing digital identification and authentication ecosystem that will decrease costs for governments, consumers, and business while improving service delivery and driving GDP growth. For more updates from the DIACC visit www.DIACC.ca and follow us on twitter @DigitalCdns.

SOURCE Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC)

For further information: Aran Hamilton, President, Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada [e-mail] [phone]; David Richards, VP, Director of Operations, Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada [e-mail]