Trust is a key element of electronic transactions between natural persons and non-person entities, such as organizations and machines. Ensuring the source, confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data is critical to our ability to transact with trust and maintain privacy across interconnected services, devices, and users. The proliferation of online services and cloud computing are enabling new operational efficiencies, while simultaneously creating novel risks.
Digital trust enabled by new capabilities, such as digital credentials (e.g., mobile driver's licenses (mDL)) and zero trust architecture, are critical to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) successfully deploying and operating 5G communication systems, critical infrastructure, government services, and many other Department missions.
The ability to establish and verify an individual’s identity enables the Department to perform risk-based decision making that is tailored to the individual. Such decision making may involve determining whether an individual is eligible to receive specific services or benefits or ascertaining if an individual is a known or suspected threat.
As DHS develops and scales various identity verification technologies to meet evolving needs, we must ensure approaches include effective privacy, civil rights and liberties safeguards for U.S. citizens consistent with U.S. laws, regulations, and DHS authorities.
The Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) focus areas in digital identity and trust are:
- Digital Identity - We seek to assess and manage risks associated with new, emerging, and disruptive technologies that may affect the Department’s ability to establish and verify identity of entities (natural person, non-person) to strengthen and manage risks across a diverse range of DHS missions.
- Privacy Enhancing Technologies - We aim to understand effective and performant ways to meaningfully exchange data, while respecting the confidentiality and use of entities’ information.
- Combine Data Analytics and Simulation Capabilities - We will experiment to understand the limitations of learning models from simulated environments, while exploring model-test-model paradigms.
- Trust and Safety - We endeavor to understand how trust can be gained, lost, and enhanced between entities on digital platforms.
Resources
- Biometric and Identity Technology Center
- Biometric Technology Rally
- Blockchain Portfolio
- Misuse of a Mobile Driver’s License (mDL) Investigative Aid
- Next Generation Identity: Mobile Driver’s License Fact Sheet
- Privacy Technology Demonstration
- Remote Identity Validation Technology Demonstration (RIVTD)
- S&T Technology Centers Division Research Agenda
News
- Technologically Speaking Podcast: It’s Brownfield, Not Greenfield
- S&T Announces Track 2 of the Remote Identity Validation Tech Demo Challenge
- Feature Article: Implementing Mobile Driver’s Licenses: Not as Easy as You Think
- Protecting Our Critical Infrastructure During Uncertain Times
Contact
Learn more about us and discover how your organization can partner with S&T to make the homeland more secure.