By empowering verifiers – from businesses, to institutions, to everyday people – IDLab helps bridge the gap between traditional and modern verification methods. This focus promotes efficient and reliable digital credential verification. Join us in exploring the importance of this community and how IDLab’s efforts help shape the future of digital credential adoption.
This article is part of our series on IDLab 2.0’s five impact areas. We have identified these impact areas based on ongoing discussions with leading experts in the digital identity and credential community. Each of these areas represent a point of focus that requires additional development within the digital identity ecosystem in order to strengthen cybersecurity and advance safe, seamless and secure digital credentials as a whole. IDLab facilitates co-created projects with individuals and organizations that we believe will have maximum impact.
While the limelight often shines on the credentials themselves, a thriving verifier community is an essential backbone that enables the effectiveness and widespread adoption of digital credentials. In the journey from digital credential issuance to seamless verification, this community plays a critical role.
By focusing on empowering verifiers to:
- engage with the ecosystem;
- define their needs;
- understand their role;
- embrace digital verification; and
- Understand the value of digital credentials to a verifier’s operations.
IDLab aims to facilitate the discussion and co-create projects that will accelerate the verifier community’s adoption of digital credentials.
Understanding the verifier community’s role
Think of verifiers as the early adopters of technology trends. Without their active participation and understanding, the potential of digital credentials remains out of reach. The verifier community comprises entities such as notaries, social services, shelters, hotels, liquor stores, educational institutions, employers, and the list goes on. These verifiers are the touchpoints where digital credentials are put to use. They validate the authenticity and relevance of credentials, and in doing so, pave the way for seamless digital transactions and interactions.
IDLab’s impact on the verifier community
We envision a future where the availability of safe, seamless, and secure digital credential verification is the norm, for those who want it. Imagine employers streamlining background checks, or educational institutions swiftly verifying qualifications. For this to happen, there needs to be widespread adoption not only by holders of digital credentials but also by verifiers.
IDLab’s work is aligned with this important aspect of the digital credential ecosystem through initiatives like:
- the Digital Trust Acceleration Program (DTAP), which assists in building a knowledge base across organizations
- our Pan-Canadian Trust Registry project that aims to ease verifiers’ abilities to trust a credential
IDLab fosters an environment where verifiers can understand, adopt, and implement digital credential verification capacity. By fostering this community, IDLab accelerates the transition towards digital credentials being verified confidently across diverse sectors. This means the possibility of faster transactions, reduced fraud, enhanced customer experiences, and, ultimately, a more secure and efficient digital landscape.
Empowering the verifier community: a key catalyst
Integral to IDLab’s mission is the verifier community. These entities form a link in the chain of seamless digital credential use. Before Visa was known for being accepted everywhere, it had to be accepted somewhere. Just as early adopters shape trends, verifiers play a crucial role in realizing the potential and adoption of digital credentials.
Interested in exploring this impact area with us?
Here’s a few ways to get started:
- Review our Active and Completed projects to see if there is an ongoing project you’d like to get involved in.
- Propose a new project. Start by learning more about our co-created projects.
- Become a funder of this impact area.
IDLab is committed to strengthening cybersecurity by advancing safe and seamless digital credentials. We explore impact areas to promote a better understanding of digital identity, ensure seamless interoperability and facilitate community growth.
