BRT Releases Recommendations for Strengthening Digital Identity, Reducing Identity Theft and Fraud

July 10, 2019

Washington – Business Roundtable today released “Building Trusted & Resilient Digital Identity,” an action plan for government and industry to make online user experiences safer and more secure for all Americans. The report lays out six objectives for improving digital identity: strengthen and sustain the security and privacy of digital services; insure digital identity with a safety net; enable convenient access to digital services; enable wide availability of authoritative attribute sources; provide transparency and choice; increase digital literacy and awareness.

“With digital identity being a key enabler for participation in digital interactions, it must not only be secure but also convenient so it can be used across sectors and in daily interactions,” the report says. “To continue to reap the benefits of the online world, it is imperative that the U.S. government and the private sector work together to strengthen digital identity without sacrificing the speed or convenience that today’s society demands. Meeting this goal would strengthen the entire online ecosystem — from e-commerce to health care, employment, supply chains and more.”

The report details an action plan with eight recommendations aimed at promoting strong and resilient digital identity systems:

Action 1: Reduce Dependency on Passwords to Provide More Intuitive and Secure Authentication
Action 2: Eliminate Identity Proofing Solutions That Are Solely Knowledge Based
Action 3: Change the Use of Social Security Numbers
Action 4: Improve Government Support for Validating Identity Attributes and Verifying Identity Claims
Action 5: Reduce Barriers to the Adoption of New Technologies
Action 6: Establish a Public-Private Partnership to Focus on Implementation of Digital Identity Solutions at Scale
Action 7: Enhance Privacy Through Digital Identity
Action 8: Bolster Digital Identity Education and Awareness

The full report is available here.