Introduction

Online Authentication

To use some government services, you need to prove who you are. You also need to know that you are dealing with a real government agency. The process of proving who you are and establishing the authenticity of the agency is called authentication. The E-government Unit (EGU) is looking for ways, acceptable to New Zealanders, to authenticate people and agencies so that government services requiring authentication can be provided online.

Scope of Design

Cabinet agreed in June 2003 that the design work should focus on a centralised authentication approach with limited information exchange of personal information and that privacy and security should be key considerations.

Cabinet directed that the design and scoping work cover all online services where an individual person is transacting with a government agency and there is a need to prove who they are and prove they are dealing with a real government agency. This means that the solution will have to work for people resident or temporarily in New Zealand, as well as for people living overseas who use New Zealand government services. It also means that the solution will ultimately need to cater for people who access online government services for professional or business reasons as well as those accessing services for personal reasons.

Design Assumptions

The conceptual model selected by Cabinet is underpinned by a number of design assumptions that have a strong emphasis on the protection of privacy and information. These assumptions are listed below:

• the public should be able to choose whether or not to access services that require authentication over the Internet (the 'opt-in' policy principle);
• authentication (verifying identity) must be handled independently from authorisation (access to services);
• the all-of-government model does not require national ID cards, digital certificates or the exchange of biometric data at the time of transaction (consistent with authentication principles such as technology-neutral, affordability and acceptability);
• existing agency-based identification numbers, for example Inland Revenue Department numbers or National Health Index numbers, will not need to be replaced;
• Service Agencies will continue to determine entitlement to a service and this will not be a function of the Authentication Agency. The Authentication Agency role should be to issue and verify ID credentials and store identity details provided at registration;
• some transactions require greater security than others. For this reason, some Service Agencies will continue to require strict processes, such as requiring an individual to apply in person, before they can receive these types of service. For example obtaining a firearms license;
• some transactions require less security than others. For example, getting general information about government services such as obtaining agency brochures. For this reason, authentication is not required for some transactions; and
• that Security in the Government Sector [SIGS] will provide the basis for the security framework for authentication, with particular consideration being given to confidentiality, authenticity, non-repudiation, integrity and availability.

The concepts and approach set out in the following sections are a result of applying these assumptions to the process design for all-of government authentication.