Monthly Archives: février 2023

DIACC Women in Identity: Alana Bennett

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 in media as a customer success manager, then got into media sales which lead to working in technology sales in business intelligence. From there I did some consulting and wound up in cybersecurity where I found my sweet spot: product marketing. From there I have focused on scaling and growing innovative technologies; AI and now digital identity. It’s a very exciting time to be contributing the to DI ecosystem globally.

When you were 20 years old, what was your dream job and why?
I wanted to be the CEO of a international marketing agency and a part-time travel photographer for National Geographic.

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

The barriers I’ve encountered are reflected across women in the tech industry: 
1. Lack of mentors
2. Lack of female role models in the field
3. Gender bias in the workplace
4. Unequal growth opportunities compared to men
5. Unequal pay for the same skills 

How do you balance work and life responsibilities?

Working for companies with cultures that match my value work/life balance, turning off slack, and prioritizing my personal and family life after 5 pm (easier said than done).

❝Creating an environment that encourages girls from an early age to pursue technology fields is essential in advancing their participation in the workforce.❞

Alana Bennett

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

Creating an environment that encourages girls from an early age to pursue technology fields is essential in advancing their participation in the workforce. Whether it’s donating to organizations, promoting young women in STEM, volunteering to mentor, or developing company policies that push for more diversity and inclusivity, there’s plenty to do to shape the future for many girls and women globally.

What are some strategies you have learned to help women achieve a more prominent role in their organizations?
Representation is a key step in creating an inclusive and equitable environment where all employees can do the best work of their lives. Today’s companies are well aware that women in positions of power can lead to more innovation and better outcomes. Organizations can develop meaningful programs to develop technical talent, which not only supports women but helps diversify‌ representation and ideas, which often leads to even more innovation. Internships or job shadowing programs provide a chance for women to gain tangible technology skills. Mentorship programs that help employees learn, develop, grow and thrive in today’s ever-changing environment.

What will be the biggest challenge for the generation of women behind you?
Income inequality compared to male colleagues, workplace gender bias and a shortage of female role models are among the main barriers faced by women working in the tech industry. Women are often underrepresented in leadership positions in tech companies. This can make it difficult for women to advance their careers and achieve their goals.

What advice would you give to young women entering the field?
Advocate for yourself, and know that reaching outside of your comfort zone with the support of strong mentors and a company that shares your values can take you far.

Alana Bennet is the Product Marketing Director at ATB Ventures

Follow Alana Bennett on LinkedIn

Spotlight on ADI Association

1. What is the mission and vision of the ADI Association?

The mission of the ADI Association is to create a global digital identity framework for creating, managing, and using digital identity as well as sharing personal information. This system solves some of the most important practical problems attached to the operation and adoption of decentralized identity technology with an accountable governance framework by enabling a business interoperability layer as well as a technological specification.

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

Establishing an effective model for digital identity is a priority that spans industries. The traditional identity model for the digital world has been an account with a password. Service Providers give each of their customers an account and assume that those accounts can be secured. However, accounts are breached, and data are compromised. Service Providers do not often even know if the person who created the account was legitimate. In the physical world, individuals can prove who they are by presenting formal documents like a driver’s license, passport, or birth certificate. In the digital world, individuals cannot definitively prove who they are, and the malicious can easily masquerade as someone they are not. This gap between physical and digital identity has led to an exponential increase in online fraud as more interactions and financial transactions have gone digital. It has also led to a rapid rise in misinformation and disinformation propagating through online social media.

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

In the physical world, identities are created at birth by a trusted group of people. Parents choose names; hospitals record birth events; and governments create birth records, which are then used by individuals to register at schools, employers, banks, medical facilities, and so on. Everything an individual does in life is tied to that identity, and that identity becomes the accountable party. ADI Association has defined a similar concept for the digital world, called the “Digital Address.” The next generation of federated identity standards should support the issuance of a lifetime digital identity that a consumer can use across the digital services of their choice. It should eliminate passwords and protect personal data. The Accountable Digital Identity (ADI) Association is developing an open standard, based on decentralized identity, for bootstrapping individual identities online. The work will give identity providers and relying parties a framework to establish secure exchanges of identity-based services for their consumers, customers, employees, and partners. The ADI Association focuses on standards that enhance the digital consumer experience while improving cyber security at the same time.

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

As a current leader, Canada has the opportunity to frame how the future gets shaped by digital identity for both online use cases as well as in the physical world.

5. Why did your organization join the DIACC?

The ADI Association believes that this work cannot be done by a single organization, but will only be realized by concerted efforts to create and promote open standards which can be made available to and adopted by all.

6. What else should we know about your organization?

The ADI Association is a diverse coalition of companies and organizations from around the world who have come together to create an interoperable specification and ecosystem for accountable identity. This level of coordination across industries seamlessly connects a global community of businesses, governments, healthcare providers, and other organizations with customers, people, and patients to modernize the way we manage our online digital interactions.

CONSULT HYPERION Joins the Voila Verified Trustmark Program as Readiness Advisor

Voilà Verified Program Builds Real Trust in Digital Solutions by Spotlighting World-Class Vetted Digital Identity Solutions.

Vancouver, February 1st– The Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) is pleased to officially recognize Consult Hyperion as a Readiness Advisor to help vendors prepare for  Pan-Canadian Trust FrameworkTM (PCTF) certification.

A non-profit coalition of over 115 public and private members, the DIACC develops research and opportunities to enable Canada’s confident, safe, and full participation in a global digital economy. 

“One of the PCTF certification goals is to provide certainty and trust in the Canadian market by ensuring that the identity checks will be consistent and trustworthy. Getting Consult Hyperion recognized as a Readiness Advisor will help to prepare vendors to go through this journey,” says Joni Brennan, president of the DIACC. “With the PCTF, and now with Voilà Verified, there is an opportunity to adopt a framework rooted in trust – and to earn compliance recognition. Voilà Verified identifies those who are ‘walking the walk’ and delivering safe and secure access to the global digital economy.”

The DIACC’s PCTF is a publicly available framework for identity solutions that defines client, customer, and individual duty of care. The Voilà Verified program provides a vetting and assessment opportunity where PCTF-compliant solution vendors can earn a public-facing trustmark. The result? Spotlight visibility of trustworthy, safe, reliable, and efficient solutions.

‘Consult Hyperion is excited by the vibrant digital identity and authentication market within Canada and recognizes that the PCTF central to its success. A strong encompassing framework and robust certification process is the foundation for any interoperable service.’  says Justin Gage, Consult Hyperion’s Digital Identity delivery lead for North America. ”Consult Hyperion has over 20 years’ experience designing and implementing global interoperable payment systems, which are currently used by billions of people in every continent every day. More recently we have advised several organizations developing PCTF compliant solutions and look forward to helping them with their successful application to Voilà Verified for accreditation.”

Voilà Verified presents an opportunity to grow provincial-level investments in digital identity solutions. Provincial governments which have launched identity services can now earn a trustmark of their own, and provinces that are on the cusp of entering the digital solution market can do so with confidence by seeking vendors with a Voilà Verified trustmark. 

Ruth Puente, Voilà Verified’s Trustmark Verification Program Manager, says “We are glad to welcome Consult Hyperion as a Readiness Advisor, which will bring its remarkable expertise in the identity domain to conduct gap analysis regarding the requirements that will help service providers to prepare the application for VVP Verification.”.

“Voilà Verified is inclusive yet diligent in verifying PCTF-compliant solutions. The program was developed in alignment with ISO standards  – and empowers informed decision-making in a rapidly growing ecosystem of identity solutions,” said Puente. “Delivering high-quality service, customer protection, and Increasing access to trustworthy solutions are our priorities. We have formed teams of international experts to perform assessments and to oversee the process through an impartial lens.”

“Voilà Verified is a unique opportunity in which I am honoured to share my experience as an advisor and auditor within information security, compliance, and identity,” says Björn Sjöholm, Cybersecurity Entrepreneur of Seadot, and Trustmark Oversight Board Chair.

Vendors are turning to the Voilà Verified program for several reasons, but the leading value proposition is market differentiation. Trustmark holders stand out from competitors by unlocking global business opportunities through international recognition and credibility.

“Voilà Verified puts internationally reputable identity solutions on the map,” says Dave Nikolejsin, the DIACC’s Board Chair. “This is the way forward. With lateral growth of PCTF compliance across sectors – public and private – we establish a common value of trust. Voilà Verified is a monumental stride for Canada to influence a safe and secure global digital economy.”

To learn more about Voilà Verified and access your application package, visit the program overview on the DIACC website or contact voila@diacc.ca.

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ABOUT DIACC

DIACC is a growing coalition of public and private sector organizations who are making a significant and sustained effort to ensure Canada’s full, secure, and beneficial participation in the global digital economy. By solving challenges and leveraging opportunities, Canada has the chance to secure at least three percent of unrealized GDP or $100 billion of potential growth by 2030. Seizing this opportunity is a must in a digital society as we work through the COVID pandemic challenges. Learn more about the DIACC mandate.

ABOUT CONSULT HYPERION

Consult Hyperion is an independent strategic advisory and technical consultancy, based in the UK and North America, specialising in secure electronic transactions in the areas of Payments, Identity and Mobility. With over 30 years’ experience, we help organisations across the globe exploit opportunities presented by new technologies, regulatory changes and consumer expectations. We design systems that support mass scale secure electronic payments, fare collection and identity transaction services. We deliver value to our clients by supporting them in delivering on their strategy through digital innovation and unblocking technical challenges. Hyperlab, our in-house software development and testing team, rapidly prototypes new concepts, delivers security critical software for mass deployment, and thoroughly tests the functionality and security of third-party products on behalf of clients.

For more information contact info@chyp.com