DigiD - Digital Identity in Dutch eGovernment services

Acronym of the case:

DigiD

Web address of the case:

http://www.digid.nl

Country of the case:

Netherlands

Posting Date:

10 May 2007

Last Edited Date:

07 January 2010

Author:

Michiel Groeneveld (GBO.Overheid)

authentication | partnerships | security

Type of initiative

Project or service

Case Abstract

DigiD stands for Digital Identity and is a system shared among cooperating public administrations. It allows for digital authentication of citizens and/or business representatives applying for electronic services. DigiD has a growth model with different methods and levels of authentication. Right now, about 7 million Dutch citizens have a DigiD login code, which they can use to access services offered by more than 350 local, regional and national administrations. When connected to DigiD, administrations need not develop and maintain their own authentication systems and, for citizens and businesses, there is no need to memorize numerous login codes: one code will do.

Description of the case

Domain

eGovernment

Topic

eIdentity and eSecurity | Multi-channel Delivery | Open Source

Sector

Start date - End date

September 2004 (Ongoing)

Date operational

September 2004

Target Users

Administrative | Business (self-employed) | Business (industry) | Business (SME) | Citizen

Target Users Description

DigiD has been developed for citizens and (representatives of) businesses as well as public administrations. All citizens with a citizens service number and a registration in a Dutch municipality can get a DigiD login code. All Dutch administrations offering e-government services can use DigiD. The only requirements are that an administration carries out a public task and is permitted by law to use the designated registration number (citizens service number).

Scope

National

Status

Operation

Language(s)

Dutch | English

Policy Context and Legal Framework

Dutch e-government policy aims to improve the standards of government services and reduce paperwork for citizens and businesses. E-government requires the development and implementation of a number of fundamental features. These include electronic authentication, key registers and numbers (e.g. social security number, SSN).

Domain

At present all organisations that have a public task and are permitted by law to use the Citizens Service Number are permitted to use DigiD for electronic services. This includes private organisations with public tasks. For instance hospitals, health insurance companies and universities.

Levels of security

DigiD defines three levels of security. The combination of DigiD username and password is basic authentication. An extra SMS code is used when medium security is needed. The highest security level will be authentication by means of the eNIK.

DigiD for businesses

DigiD for businesses has the same three security levels, but uses different authentication methods. Some methods already existed, for instance the combination of the username and password of the Chamber of Commerce (CoC). These methods can be integrated in DigiD infrastructure, so that a business can use its CoC login code for accessing other administrations. More authentication methods are expected in the future.

Independent

Dutch administrations are very independent due to the stateâ€™s high degree of decentralisation. Municipalities for instance can make their own choices regarding ICT infrastructure and the use of DigiD. Therefore the large number of participating local administrations is exceptional from a Dutch perspective.

Project Size and Implementation

Type of initiative

IT infrastructures and products

Overall Implementation approach

Public administration

Technology choice

Not applicable/not available

Funding source

Public funding national

Project size

Implementation: €5,000,000-10,000,000

Yearly cost:

Larger than €10,000,000

Implementation and Management Approach

Development

DigiD was developed by a few public administrations for their own services. But because it showed so much potential early on, it was adopted by more parties and further developed to the standard authentication system it is today.

Management

In the Netherlands a special organisation (GBO.Overheid) was formed to maintain e-government infrastructure tools like DigiD. GBO.Overheid is part of the Ministry for the Interior and receives structural funding. The board of GBO.Overheid consists of representatives of different public administrations. All administrations using DigiD or one of the other instruments maintained by GBO.Overheid, have a say in any further developments. Either through their representative on the board or through its maintenance team. In this way the partnerships that made DigiD possible in the first place, still exist up till today.

Technology solution

DigiD is based on A-select open source software. See http://a-select.surfnet.nl/ for more information.

Impact, innovation and results

Impact

Since authentication is essential for e-government services DigiD has had a direct impact on the quantity and quality of services available. It has really boosted e-government in the Netherlands. Thanks to DigiD national, regional and local administrations can rely on an authentication system.

Webservices

At this moment 401 out of 443 Dutch municipalities use DigiD. All Dutch municipalities intend to participate in due course. Municipalities have many electronic services on offer: a citizen can apply for various permits and official documents, pay taxes and even plan his wedding.

Some of the large public administrations also use DigiD to verify the identity of their clients. For instance, the Tax Administration uses DigiD for electronic tax declaration and tax return; the SVB (Social Insurance Bank) allows citizens to apply for old age pensions and child benefits electronically. Students can manage their tuition fee compensation electronically at the IB-Groep (Information Management Group).

Growth

After the first full year in which a low profile communication strategy was adopted, 150.000 citizens had a DigiD login code. Things really got going in 2006 when the Tax Administration began to use DigiD alongside its own authentication system. In April 2006 DigiD reached the one million users mark. In 2007 the Tax Administration made DigiD the mandatory authentication system for electronic filing of tax administration for citizens.

Expanding

The first novelty of this case is that a basic authentication infrastructure has been developed to which different and more secure authentication methods can be added. The original intention was to develop an authentication system with as few barriers as possible and expand it to reach higher levels of authentication. For instance, the medium security level (by SMS authentication) was already used by the IB-Groep and implemented in DigiD last year. In the future more methods will be incorporated.

Communicating a single number

Another novelty is the use of existing registers. A unique feature about DigiD is that citizens have to register with their citizens service number (CSN). Citizens can choose their own DigiD username and password. This corresponds to their CSN. When they log in DigiD passes the CSN belonging to the login code to the web service. The web service can use this CSN to obtain more personal information about the citizen out of the central population register. This information can be used to pre-fill forms. This helps reduce the administrative burden for citizens.

Track record of sharing

On a national level DigiD has had an impact on many initiatives, for it makes personalised e-government services run by national, regional and local public administrations possible.

The projects 'MijnOverheid' (MyGovernment, i.e. a personalised e-government website for every citizen) and 'E-formulieren' (standardised electronic forms for administrations) make use of DigiD and are promising. Both projects are in the development stage.

On an international level DigiD has already attracted attention. It has been presented to representatives from the UK Cabinet Office and the Belgian, Kazakh and Australian governments.

DigiD is based on open source software called A-select. This software was originally developed by and for the educational sector. Because of its open source status other countries can use it freely as a basis for their own authentication system. Of course we are prepared to share our experiences and lessons learned.

Lessons learnt

Lesson 1 - Start with a simple system which can be expanded and improved (think big, act small).

Lesson 2 - Big national organisations act as a launching customer. The Tax Administration proved to be a huge accelerator for DigiD when they started to use it as the sole authentication method for electronic tax declaration. This generates a pull-effect to other administrations.

Lesson 3 - Partnership of different organisations is vital to sustain such a case. All participating organisations have influence on the development of DigiD.

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