ISO 27001 ”de facto standard” for proper e-ID governance
Security central when handling personal data
e-IDs, electronic passports, national identity cards, and visas and for documents to support online voting are being increasingly used by governments worldwide. While the cost benefits of this approach are clear, electronic storage and exchange of highly sensitive data present serious risks of cyber crime, hacker attacks and human error. Documentation must be secure and personal information encrypted to safeguard against identity theft.
ISO 27001 has emerged as the de-facto standard to ensure international best practice Information Security Management Standard (ISMS). It requires more than 130 criteria to be met and acts as an important safeguard and differentiator among suppliers of people ID solutions. In addition to protecting stakeholders from significant threats, such as organised crime, it minimises the risk of financial losses caused by system failures or data loss.
“For the user, ISO 27001 certification means proof of reliability which is crucial when managing population databases. It means data is held securely, cannot be compromised and that e-ID documentation cannot be counterfeited,” says Ronny Depoortere, VP of People ID at Zetes.
In April 2010, Zetes started offering stringent security guarantees when it became one of the few Belgian companies awarded the ISO27001 certification. To date, Zetes has worked with the governments of Belgium, Portugal, Israel and Côte d’Ivoire to implement secure e-ID solutions.
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