Monthly Archives: December 2017

Spotlight on Boloro

Watch the video interview with CEO Karl Kilb:

A New Way To Authenticate & Pay

  1. What is the mission and vision of Boloro?

Boloro Global Limited is a New York City-based Delaware, USA corporation that is actively licensing its globally patented authentication technology worldwide for the security of mobile banking and payment apps, as well as logins for email, social media, access to data, and other activity.

Boloro’s mission and vision is to provide security through identity verification and transaction validation, using the mobile phone number and memorized PIN as unique identifiers, as well as the separation of the authentication process from the Internet and Operating System.  Mobile banking and payment apps who adopt Boloro’s authentication technology can promote financial inclusion, transparency and fraud prevention by leveraging our identity verification and settlement/reconciliation reports.  

Internet-based transactions are susceptible to fraud. Hackers routinely exploit the single point of failure.

The use of One-Time-Pins (OTP) is outdated and needs to be replaced because it is too susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks that exploit the inherent issues of the Internet and Operating Systems.  

In a similar way, biometric authentication can be too easy for fraudsters to replicate, and institutions are realizing that once a finger image is compromised in connection with any usage, it can never be relied on again. The storage of vast amounts of personal data, such as biometrics, is also of great concern to institutions who do not want the catastrophic problems and liability that could result from a data breach.

We believe that Boloro’s ATM-like approach to authentication is ideal for mobile payments, mobile banking and all ID verification.  

  1.  Why is trustworthy digital identity critical for existing and emerging markets?

The world is moving rapidly toward mobile payments and banking, including the migration from cash-based to digital transactions.  We are also seeing a movement away from traditional points of sale and toward e-Commerce, further increasing the need for proper identity validation.  Fraud is rampant in existing and emerging markets, and card-not-present fraud continues to climb steadily.  Financial inclusion through mobile activity is necessary to develop emerging markets and to raise the prospects of those who are unbanked or unbanked in all markets.  Security that is both bullet-proof and user-friendly is absolutely critical to the future of mobile payments and banking, as well as e-Commerce, and security starts with a trustworthy digital identity.  

Boloro’s ATM-like, multi-channel and multi-factor approach to authentication avoids the Internet and the Operating System by separating the authentication message (sent via the secure signaling channel of the mobile phone) from the transaction (which is typically via an Internet-based app).

Boloro’s process allows you to proactively protect yourself. Boloro is compatible with any mobile phone, and a user-friendly, instantaneous way to protect your identity and to eliminate fraud.

  1. How will digital identity transform the Canadian and global economy? How does Boloro address challenges associated with this transformation?

Digital identity is the foundation of proper security, which is essential for all forms of mobile payments, mobile banking and e-Commerce.

Governments, financial institutions and others need secure, user-friendly and cost-effective ways to ensure the identity of those participating in all forms of financial activity, and Boloro is directly addressing these challenges by providing technology that is easy to adopt and compatible with any mobile phone, regardless of the manufacturer, allowing for uniform deployment.

As referenced above, Boloro’s ATM-like, multi-channel and multi-factor approach avoids the Internet and separates authentication from the transaction, putting real security in your own hands.  Only you have your physical phone, and only you know your memorized PIN, which you enter into a flash text message sent via the secure signaling layer of the mobile carrier (away from the Internet and Operating System) to authenticate the applicable activity before it is processed.

  1.  What role does Canada have to play as a leader in the space?

Canada should be promoting thought leadership in this space, focusing attention on best of breed technologies such as Boloro that can provide ID verification and transaction validation.

  1.  Why did Boloro join the DIACC?

DIACC’s President recently saw a demonstration of Boloro’s technology and invited Boloro to join its organization. Boloro is proud to be a member of DIACC and to be working with DIACC to further thought leadership in the crucial areas of identity validation and transaction verification.  We see DIACC as a global leader in this space and want to work actively with DIACC on these initiatives.

  1.   What else should we know about Boloro?

Boloro is committed to identity verification through the use of the mobile phone number and memorized PIN as unique identifiers, as well as the separation of authentication from the transaction, and Boloro wants to use this commitment as a foundation to promoting financial inclusion, transparency and fraud prevention.

In addition to identity verification and transaction validation, Boloro’s patented authentication and mobile payments technology includes a complete settlement and reconciliation report that can be used to develop a credit history for individuals that can become the basis for establishing traditional banking and credit relationships.

Year in Review: 3 Key Accomplishments and Insights Delivered through DIACC

 Over the past 12 months, our community of digital identity solutions and services experts and enthusiasts grew larger and stronger than ever. We’re proud to bring diverse individuals and organizations together to collaborate and advance digital identity. Our work throughout the year has focused on making strides in interoperability, innovation, and outreach for digital identification solutions.

“We’re collaborating to reach digital Canada and that goal makes digital ID even more desperately needed,” says Joni Brennan, President of the DIACC. “DIACC membership growth is a good indication of value in terms of the insights we’re delivering and who’s participating.”

As we reflect on our proudest accomplishments over the past year, we are excited to start 2018 with even more strategic understanding of what’s possible and what’s critical as we move toward an ecosystem of digital ID solutions and services that respect Canadians while unlocking the benefits of the digital economy.

2017 Key Accomplishments and Insights

  1. Driving Industry Impact

    Innovation Paper: Digital ID and Authentication for Civic Engagement

In collaboration with Placespeak, we published an Innovation Paper on Digital ID and Authentication for Civic Engagement. This case study helped raise the need for anonymous

authentication for digital citizen engagement. Anonymous authentication is the process by which a user is authenticated but, unless explicit permission is granted, the service and provider they are interacting with cannot access their identity.

The ability to confirm a person’s geographic location without identification is crucial for governments seeking reliable information to drive insightful policy development. This Innovation Paper illustrated the essential and exciting opportunities that digital identity can produce to enhance democracy in a digital world.

Key Insight:

DIACC members gain value through Innovation Papers by working with us to raise visibility on specific issues and industry use cases while linking research, trends, and member services. Together we build a more robust understanding of the implications of a truly interoperable digital identity and illuminate broader possibilities in the Canadian landscape.

Have an idea for an Innovation Paper? Share your idea!

  1. Exploring New Technology Applications

    Proof of Concept: Blockchain for Corporate Registries

The Proof of Concept: Making the Blockchain Work for Corporate Registries enabled the Province of British Columbia and IBM to collaborate to better understand blockchain technology and specifically, viability of the Hyperledger standard. The multi stakeholder team established a narrow scope and strong foundational question before convening for an intensive workshop. They asked: Can blockchain provide value in the world of corporate registries and what might it look like in practice?

They discovered that it’s difficult for corporate registries to share, access, and view data because each registry has different technologies and policies in place.Through the Proof of Concept, participants recognized that blockchain and Hyperledger can solve this issue by allowing disparate systems (in this case, registries) to speak to each other without having to change legacy systems or harmonize policies. They created an open source solution that enables provinces to evolve at their own discretion and pace, while taking advantage of the benefits of data visibility across registries.

Key Insight:

Application-focused exercises that use new technologies provide DIACC member value by amplifying resources to test viability and unlock significant learnings. The Proof of Concept has been picked up across Canada and by analysts in Europe, including KuppingerCole,who noted the scalability and applicability of this use of blockchain for registries around the world.

What Proof of Concept would you like to see in 2018? Let us know!

  1. Collaborative Co-Creation

    Digital ID Design Challenge: Electronic State of Title Certificates

The Digital Identity Design Challenge: eSTC was our first Digital Identity Design Challenge (DIDC) and it was a great success. DIACC partnered with IdentityNORTH, Land Title and Survey Authority of British Columbia (LTSA), and Blockchain at UBC to craft a challenge specific to the real estate market. The LTSA wanted to explore how the intersection of blockchain and identity could help with access to electronic state of title certificates.

DIACC was thrilled to engage people from inside and outside of the typical digital identity community to connect knowledge and highlight new approaches. The contest piqued the interest of students and entrepreneurs from Canada, China, and Europe. Judgement criteria was set for three industry experts and the IdentityNORTH Western Forum audience to cast their votes and select a winner. In the end, Noah Bouma, a first year student at University of Calgary, won for his user-friendly, thoughtful, and framework-driven solution.

Key Insight:

The collaboration from beginning to end of the Digital ID Design Challenge delivered market research while creating new connections across industries and sectors. The DIDC delivered value to business, government, and citizen-consumers through targeted resource sharing and the benefits were reflected by the enthusiastic community participation.

Would you like to propose, mentor, or judge a DIACC DIDC? Get in touch!

 

Moving Forward Together: 2018 Leaders take the Lead

The DIACC is committed to creating even more opportunities for members to share their vision, progress, and expertise to make an impact. As the world defines the role that digital identity can play in every facet of our lives, Canada can emerge as a leader. To drive this change, we’re launching two new committee forums in 2018. The Innovation Expert Committee and Outreach Expert Committee will connect members to advance the profile of digital identity in Canadian tech innovation and digital policy development.

“Blockchain, tokenization, and other technologies are driving a new phase in digital identity innovation that asks: What do networks for identity look like, and how will they be secure, privacy-respecting, and convenient for Canadians – in terms of the technologies used and in terms of transparent governance?”  Brennan says of digital identity trends that will shape 2018. “It’s an exciting evolution in how we solve digital identity for persons, organizations, and the relationships that matter in between.”

Over the past year, our members have recognized the importance of digital identity, not only for its economic value, but for the incredible societal enrichment it can drive. At the DIACC, we amplify messages, ideas, and interoperability guidance to realize functionality, enable implementation, and leave room to innovate. By working together, we’re excited to continue generating new opportunities and insights that support Canadian principled digital identity innovation and leadership with the world.