Monthly Archives: October 2021

Spotlight on Nuance

1. What is the mission and vision of Nuance?

Nuance’s mission is to facilitate fast, easy, secure access to the services that people depend upon. When a person contacts a company or government agency, they should be able to quickly verify themselves with minimal work on their part. They should also know that their identity is safe and that the company or agency that they’re engaging with is using the latest technology to detect and stop fraudsters. Nuance promotes an accessible, biometrics-based approach to authentication in which a person’s voice acts as a central, lifelong credential that frees them to use whichever device or channel they want. Where other biometric modalities like fingerprint sensors and face scanning require a person to have access to a particular device, voice biometrics can be enrolled and then authenticated against in any channel. Therefore, by adding voice biometrics to their digital identity, governments and enterprises can ensure that they are offering a secure, accessible to everyone, including vulnerable and less technology-savvy clients. A biometrics-based approach also enables organizations to stop digital identity fraud at the source—the actual fraudster—by detecting fraudsters no matter the device or identity they hide behind. And it helps law enforcement agencies identify and prosecute organized fraud groups to protect their citizens from identity theft and related crimes.

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

Both corporate and government entities need to trust that the person they’re interacting with is actually who they claim to be; likewise, people need a convenient, accessible way to prove their identity to governments and companies. A trusted digital identity, based on principles of accessibility and universality, is key to facilitating these interactions.

Furthermore, as people increasingly prioritize data privacy and security, governments and companies should embrace these principles in kind. By adopting strong, state-of-the-art authentication and fraud prevention technologies like voice biometrics, enterprises and government services can demonstrate to their clients that they share these values.

3. How will digital identity transform the Canadian and global economy? How does your organization address challenges associated with this transformation?

Digital identity will enhance privacy protection by enabling new ways to share specific identity attributes without having to share an identity in its entirety. Digital identity will also increase accessibility to critical services: pairing a person’s digital identity with their biometrics will allow that person to receive services without requiring a security factor that they may not have access to, such as a smartphone or physical identity card.

Nuance enables secure, accessible digital identity that goes beyond the simple digitalization of government IDs by providing technology to append biometric voiceprints to identities, as well as behaviourprints and “conversationprints”.

4. What role does Canada have to play as a leader in this space?

Through DIACC, Canada is taking the lead in adopting a secure, accessible digital identity framework that will facilitate the interoperability of digital ID standards and approaches between provinces. Further, in establishing leadership in developing such a framework, Canada will play a key role in developing a digital identity that can be used outsides of its national borders. By adopting biometrics as part of its strong digital identity framework, Canada can demonstrate the importance of making digital identity fully accessible to everyone.

5. Why did your organization join the DIACC?

It’s time to transform national identities, but digitization is only one step: digital identity initiatives must aim to provide better services with fewer barriers even while proactively moving against abuse from fraudsters who have amassed the valuable personal information of millions of citizens over the past decade. Enriching digital identities with other data including biometric factors is critical to increasing access to services for more vulnerable populations and to fighting fraud more effectively.

Nuance has more than 20 years’ experience helping banks, telecommunication providers, insurance companies and governments deliver better services and fight back against ever-evolving fraud threats. We’re very excited to share our expertise and collaborate with other organizations to accelerate the adoption of secure, accessible digital identities across Canada and around the world.

6. What else should we know about your organization?

Nuance is a global leader in biometric authentication and fraud prevention, helping governments and enterprises deliver better services and fight back against ever-evolving fraud threats. Our Gatekeeper biometric security solution reduces friction and increases trust in every interaction across voice and digital channels while helping fraud teams prevent, detect, and investigate more fraud. Over 500 organizations have enrolled over 600 million biometric prints through our solutions, securing over 8 billion customer engagements and preventing more than $2 billion in fraud losses annually.

DIACC Industry Survey

This survey is now closed. Thank you.

The intent of this DIACC Industry Survey is to identify any pain points Canadian industries have that prevent the use of trusted Digital Identity frameworks. Target audience for this survey includes those from both the public and private sectors who are at least somewhat familiar with the concepts of Digital ID as well as any current regulatory enablers and barriers to digital identity growth.

This survey was created in the Summer of 2021 with the support and input of DIACC’s Outreach Expert Committee members and should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Responses to this survey will help inform the DIACC membership and the Digital ID community on how to bring Digital ID concepts to the forefront, leading to possible proof of concepts in order to dispel what may be potential myths related to Digital ID. Reports will be generated and published semi-regularly summarizing responses and the types of findings received.

This survey is available in both English and French.

Survey close date: February 28, 2022

Access the survey.

DIACC Women in Identity: Chandra Rink

DIACC is hosting a series of spotlights showcasing our amazing female DIACC members in the digital identity space, noting the importance of diversity. These spotlights will be regularly socialized through DIACC’s LinkedIn and Twitter channels as well as our monthly member newsletters.

If you’re a DIACC member and would like us to feature your spotlight, contact us today to learn more!

What has your career journey looked like?

I started my career overseeing, managing, and growing small companies and pivoted into applied technology when I joined the Data team within ATB four years ago. Since then, I have moved to work within ATB Ventures alongside other strategists and technologists to deliver long-term high-value concepts as the Head of Product. I am particularly passionate about the safe and secure utilization of data within emerging technologies and creating experiences that people love. A recent career highlight for me was becoming a patent-pending author on the ATB Ventures’ Turing Box invention, a responsible AI framework.

When you were 20 years old, what was your dream job and why?

I think when I was 20, I dreamt of making the world a better place – in that regard, little has changed. Today, I think about it through the lens of business models, product development, and value creation. Then, I probably thought about it through the lens of art and poetry – neither more important than the other, but I was particularly better at the one I formed a career around.


As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?

I have worked with some incredible mentors and leaders but the most significant barrier that I’ve experienced – and so many of the women I work with experience – is having a confidence level match your level of expertise. Confidence and capability are not opposing forces, but they don’t always mature at the same rate; if you’re able to surround yourself with mentors who provide you clear reflection on your capabilities, eventually your confidence will enable you versus create barriers for you.

How do you balance work and life responsibilities?

I am someone who enjoys to think and enjoys to reflect, because of that, I am (generally) quite clear on what drives me, what brings me purpose, what ‘fills my cup’ – and perhaps more importantly: what doesn’t. Balancing work and life responsibilities for me means creating time for the parts of life and work that bring me purpose; I fundamentally believe that anyone who thinks they have this completely figured out is either lying or a super human – I, and my work-life balance, are a continuous work in progress. But I listen to myself, to my body, I create time to reflect – to think – and it generally keeps me in a mental model in which I can do my best, within and outside of work.

How can more women be encouraged to pursue careers in the digital ID/tech space?

The women I have been grateful enough to learn from, across life and work, have all seemed to have the great ability of seeing the system (the forest through the trees) – which is where digital identity is going to become powerful. Platforms and Technology-Driven business models are not just about the tech – they’re about the system by which they operate: the customers, the market, the technology – the system. I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by mentors who helped me see my place in this system – not because I am a woman, but because I have the skills to move the world of digital identity forward alongside a diverse group of peers.

What are some strategies you have learned to help women achieve a more prominent role in their organizations?

The recent data I’ve read about imposter syndrome in women was discouraging – and unfortunately results in detracted career growth. In order to overcome this, figure out a way to build confidence in your own ability (i.e., a sandbox opportunity so that you can try/scale/ fail/ grow without any risk of failure). Do something once and the data point is there to say that you can do it again. It is also important to build community and support so that you know even if you do fail, you know that peers have your back. Intentionally build bridges through developing cross functional leadership. And – perhaps most importantly – remember that everyone feels it, to some degree – they’ve just learned skills to rise above it, and so will you.

What will be the biggest challenge for the generation of women behind you?

The biggest challenge for the generation coming up behind me will be balancing digital and physical personas (versus the work-life balance my generation is currently tackling). As the pandemic and technology increasingly push the world toward globalization, opportunities for access and career evolution will become increasingly democratized, but it will also increase our time spent across exclusively-digital channels, creating potential risks of further segregation between our physical-selves and our online(digital)-selves.   

I would imagine that generations coming up behind us will laugh at our inability to manage work-life-balance (as organizations continue to pursue greater online-working norms); they will be attempting to strike a far more difficult balance between their online-persona versus in-person-persona.

What advice would you give to young women entering the field?

Find someone to mentor. If you learn how to write and communicate through written language – you can articulate strategy & operations – if you can learn how to speak and communicate through inspiration and storytelling – you can become a leader; and if you can do both: you will be unstoppable. Being able to mentor someone will help refine your communication, articulate your position as a leader, and mitigate any imposter syndrome. Practice and posture – the more you do something (show up as a leader, mentor, speaker, etc.), the more real it will become.

Chandra Rink is the Director, Product (Innovation & Strategy) at ATB Financial.

Follow Chandra on LinkedIn


BC Government’s Verifiable Credential Issuer Kit Proof of Concept Report

The intent of this report is to communicate the project drivers, what the POC demonstrated, the experience and learning of the participants, and how governments might proceed to implement digital identity in their own programs. This report uses a narrative approach to summarize the results of this POC. This report provides strategic and operational insights regarding the results of this POC for other government entities that are interested in building a POC or production system using SSI. The report was written based on a set of interviews with people who were part of this initiative. The interviewees subjects included government staff, vendors who responded to the call to collaborate, and observers from within the identity management industry.

Download the paper.

DIACC_BC-Governments-Verifiable-Credential-Issuer-Kit_Proof-of-Concept-Report_ENG

ICTC and DIACC Collaboration

ICTC and DIACC Collaborate to Ramp Up Innovation in Identity Management, Security, and Data Privacy

(Ottawa, October 7, 2021) The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) and the Digital Identity Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) have penned a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the advancement of identity management, security, and data privacy innovation.

The collaboration sets out an exchange and transfer of knowledge and expertise to drive conversations that influence debate and lead to actions that advance the adoption of identity management, data privacy, and security innovation. The collaboration will also seek to improve public and private sector trust and ability to adopt these innovations in Canada and globally.

Specific goals of the collaboration include:

  • Accelerate the adoption of interoperable Digital Identity solutions and services that unlock economic opportunities for Canadian consumers and businesses
  • Support the adoption of the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework
  • Educate business legal and technical decision-makers, and participate in other educational opportunities
  • Seek opportunities of mutual interest for research and undertake other projects that are identified and agreed upon

“Digital identity provides the underpinning of a high performing digital-led economy, driving higher economic values for businesses while enabling new services for Canadians in an environment of trust. We are delighted to partner with DIACC to spur innovations and unlock new opportunities for the Canadian market and consumers,” said Namir Anani, ICTC President and CEO.

“ICTC shares our goal of enabling Canada’s full participation in the global digital economy, so we are excited by this collaboration, which will leverage the strengths of both organizations toward creating innovative and effective solutions for the adoption of identity management and data security,” said DIACC President, Joni Brennan.

About ICTC

The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) is a not-for-profit, national centre of expertise for strengthening Canada’s digital advantage in a global economy. Through trusted research, practical policy advice, and creative capacity-building programs, ICTC fosters globally competitive Canadian industries enabled by innovative and diverse digital talent. In partnership with an expansive network of industry leaders, academic partners, and policy makers from across Canada, ICTC has empowered a robust and inclusive digital economy for over 25 years.

About DIACC

The Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) is a not-for-profit corporation of Canada that benefits from membership of public and private sector leaders committed to developing a Canadian digital identification and authentication framework to enable Canada’s full and secure participation the global digital economy. DIACC’s objective is to unlock economic opportunities for Canadian consumers, and businesses by providing the framework to develop a robust, secure, scalable and privacy-enhancing digital identification and authentication ecosystem that will decrease costs for governments, consumers, and business while improving service delivery and driving GDP growth. The organization leverages the agreed upon DIACC 10 principles for a Canadian and universal identity ecosystem to guide the DIACC initiatives.