In December 2006, Global Access Partners and the National Consultative Committee on Security and Risk (NCCSR) hosted Virtual Opportunity Congress IV at Queensland Parliament House in Brisbane on the issues of identity management, access, security and privacy in the online environment. It brought together over 100 delegates from government, banking, finance, health, transport, education, defence, social services and other sectors of the economy where identity management has vital implications.

The Congress focused on cross-sectoral responsibility in developing systems to curb cyber crime and fraud targeting passwords, pin numbers and computerised finances. It spotlighted notable Federal and State Government identity management initiatives and emphasised the importance of public-private partnerships in addressing online crime. The need for individuals to control access to their own data took centre-stage in the debate.

Congress delegates acknowledged that the opaque nature of identity technology invites public suspicion as to its efficacy and intention. The public's unwillingness to give organisations information is based on their fatigue with unnecessary intrusion as much as the fear of criminal exploitation. Consumers are being asked to provide time consuming identity checks, which they will soon reject if they fail to benefit from them. People cannot provide physical proof of identity such as driver’s licenses online, therefore the 'cyber world' requires new solutions, perhaps in the manner of the credit industry which relies on 'credit scores' compiled without specific interaction with the consumer.

Co-operation between the public and private sectors, citizens and consumer protection bodies can create safe, reliable and trusted channels of communication. Clear contractual rules about who bears the risk when identities are misappropriated must be created.  Governments must balance the competing needs of speed and efficiency with privacy and security, and victims of identity theft require better systems to re-establish their bone fides.

The 'Virtual Opportunity IV on Identity and Access' Report

http://www.globalaccesspartners.org/vociv_report.pdf