SAFE Identity and Kantara Initiative Announce Collaboration to Expand Trust Frameworks for PKI and Non-PKI Identity Providers

SAFE Identity and Kantara Initiative, two globally acknowledged Trust Framework Providers focused on expanding digital identity trust and security, announced a reciprocal agreement to endorse and support each other’s Trust Frameworks for Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and non-PKI domains together with their certified identity providers. This collaboration is significant because it will consolidate the digital identity assessment and Trust Mark process for companies in healthcare, financial services and other sectors, helping to reduce risk for organizations who rely on the SAFE and Kantara Trust Frameworks.

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“What we have done is agree to honor each other’s Trust Marks. Industry can now assess and manage digital identity more easily across both PKI and non-PKI domains when making risk-based decisions concerning the validity of someone’s digital identity credentials and providers’ services,” said Colin Wallis, executive director, Kantara. “Kantara always looks for ways to serve more value to its members through non-financial, non-exclusive collaborations such as this, in the furtherance of its non-profit mission. Instead of duplicating efforts, SAFE and Kantara are helping to expand the reach of our respective missions.”

Kantara and SAFE Identity are dedicated to trusted digital identity management services and solutions, but they focus on different yet complementary assurance aspects and technologies. Kantara’s efforts are typically directed towards de jure standards conformity assessment, standardization, and non-PKI innovation that apply across multiple technologies. SAFE’s focus is expanding and standardizing the use of PKI-based credentials employed for identity, confidentiality and data integrity.

“When SAFE-BioPharma evolved into SAFE Identity earlier this year we introduced new services to operationalize and certify PKI-based trust and interoperability,” said Kyle Neuman, managing director of SAFE Identity. “While that has been our top priority, non-PKI credentials have always been an important part of the SAFE-BioPharma Trust Framework and, through this collaboration, will continue to be part of the SAFE Identity Trust Framework. As part of the agreement, non-PKI credential service providers will now be assessed by Kantara’s accredited assessors and we will accept Kantara’s approvals and Trust Mark grants. It is no longer necessary for SAFE to do this work in parallel when there is a capable Trust Framework provider already supporting the non-PKI space. In return, Kantara will accept and list SAFE Identity certified PKI credential providers, thereby offering a holistic view of the identity landscape.”

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Non-PKI credential services assessed and approved under Kantara’s Trust Framework as Full Service or Full Service (technical) have the option to additionally display a SAFE Trust Mark and be listed on the SAFE Identity website. Equivalent PKI credential issuers tested and approved by SAFE will have the option to display a Kantara Trust Mark and be listed on the Kantara website.

This relationship also helps to solve a key dilemma with Trust Framework Providers: picking one. Through this collaboration, SAFE Identity and Kantara together offer relying parties more choice, flexibility and simplicity in choosing identity providers they can depend on. Kantara offers service providers third party conformity assessment and assurance against its Classic and NIST 800-63-3 Classes of Approval under its Identity Assurance Trust Framework, amongst others. SAFE evaluates identity providers based on many of the same standards as Kantara which include requirements from the U.S. government Federal PKI, EU regulations and additional requirements determined by SAFE’s industry-led Policy Management Authority. Together, these organizations are creating trust, and helping to simplify the path towards more secure, authentic and interoperable digital credentials.

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