SecureKey and the Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada Awarded Grant to Create Privacy Enhancing Cloud Ecosystem

Funding to Support Research and Development of New Solutions to Protect Digital Identities

TORONTO, Feb. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - SecureKey Technologies Inc., a leading provider of identity and authentication solutions, and the Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC), a non-profit coalition of public and private sector leaders committed to developing a Canadian digital identification and authentication framework, today announced their receipt of a new Applied Research Grant to enable the development of a Cloud Identity Ecosystem.

The grant, valued at up to US$800,000, is the result of a collaboration between DIACC and the Command Control and Interoperability Center for Advanced Data Analytics (CCICADA) a research center of excellence funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate. SecureKey and DIACC, Canada's neutral digital identity industry standards setting organization, will develop the digital security framework consumers need to participate safely in the digital economies of today and tomorrow.

"Through ground breaking partnerships, DIACC continues to help drive innovation in Canada and we are thrilled to have been awarded this research grant in collaboration with SecureKey," said Joni Brennan, President, DIACC. "If Canada is to seize the opportunity of the digital economy, we must invest together in Digital ID and Authentication - these are the rails upon which the digital economy runs. Development of a secure and privacy enhancing Cloud Identity Ecosystem is critical to enabling Canadian citizens, businesses and governments to capture the full potential of the global digital economy."

Leveraging modern distributed network architectures (blockchain), the Cloud Identity Ecosystem will give consumers the tools they need to securely manage their digital identities and assets. The Ecosystem will be built within a framework that protects and promotes Canadian values and perspectives in alignment with DIACC's 10 Canadian Principles of Digital Identity Ecosystems.

"SecureKey is fully committed to developing a national digital identity ecosystem that puts consumers first and increases both their digital security and privacy," said Andre Boysen, Chief Identity Officer of SecureKey. "This funding will be essential in making that commitment a reality, ensuring that consumers have access to secure digital protection. The fast-paced development of the digital economy demands that federated identity ecosystems be developed to support trusted transactions online by eliminating security and privacy gaps."

SecureKey's architecture will improve security and privacy controls while maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of data across multiple environments. The ecosystem will provide users with choice, control and convenience when sharing digital assets across open interfaces. It will offer a transparent operational environment, and minimize data transfers between authoritative sources. Full details of the architecture and ecosystem can be found at https://diacc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Consumer-Digital-Identity-Companion-Paper.pdf.

To learn more about SecureKey, please visit: www.securekey.com.    

To learn more about DIACC, please visit: www.diacc.ca

About SecureKey Technologies
SecureKey is a leading identity and authentication provider that simplifies consumer access to online services and applications. SecureKey enables next generation privacy-enhancing identity and authentication network for conveniently connecting people to critical online services using a digital credential they already have and trust. SecureKey is headquartered in Toronto, with offices in Boston and San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.securekey.com.  

About 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 Canada'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.

About CCICADA
The Command, Control and Interoperability Center for Advanced Data Analysis — is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security University Center of Excellence that uses advanced data analysis and systems to address natural and manmade threats to the safety and security of the American people. CCICADA's work is carried out by researchers and students with 17 partner institutions. The lead university in the partnership is Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. CCICADA's director is Dr. Fred Roberts, Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers.

SOURCE SecureKey Technologies Inc.

Related Links

www.securekey.com