Federating identification services for the benefits of Portuguese citizens

Stefane Mouille

The Context

In April 2005, the Prime Minister of Portugal José Socrates announced that an e-ID card (Cartão do Cidadão)was to be launched with biometric data aimed at simplifying administration, modernizing the countries public services as well as providing a new highly secure identity document.

Portugal has been at the forefront of e-government projects and an early adopter of new technologies with the delivery of the national electronic passport in July 2006 and the launch of a new integrated citizens portal ‘’portal do cidadão ’’a joint effort amongst 20 public and private entities for improving citizens e-access. (www.cartaodecidadao/pt)

The Challenges

The goal of issuing an eID card was to revolutionize the way in which Portuguese citizens interact with the government.The card,which replaces five different physical ID documents including civil identification,taxation,voting,social security and healthcare cards,enables individuals to identify themselves both remotely and in front of officials.

The second goal was to use the card as a brand new tool for electronic signature and authentication fostering the development of electronic transactions and giving citizens peace of mind in the digital age. For INCM (Imprensa Nacional Casa déa Moeda SA),the Portuguese National Printing Office,it was an opportunity to further enhance their unique expertise after the electronic passport project and reinforce the company ’s experience in e-government projects.

The Solution

The Portuguese government selected a secure identification document, based on identification, authentication and signature (IAS)specifications – the first in Europe.

The eID document incorporating a Smart Card, the size of the credit card, will be the official ID document for Portuguese citizens and will enable them to communicate with their government administrations (Ministry of Interior, Finance, Health and Justice) in a secure, fast and simple manner.

The aim is to provide all Portuguese citizens with these high -ends cards including built -inbiometrics feature (fingerprint) as their national ID document by the end of the decade.

To identify and authenticate themselves, cardholders enter a secret pin code and the card then generates a digital signature for secure declarations and e- administrative procedures. This application provides the required cryptographic means for secure access to e-government services portal (portal do cidadão). It will allow for multi-channel identity authentication, namely in presence, through the Internet, or by telephone (with a one time password generated with the card), permitting the citizen to identify himself electronically and dispose of an electronic signature. As the Portuguese constitution forbids a single central database for names, several identifiers can be found on the citizen card, at the front and back of the card (Civil ID number, social security number, tax number, healthcare user number)

In 2006, INCM selected Gemalto as prime contractor to provide the solution for the national eID card (Sealys eID), including the secure operating system, the personalization system (Coesys Issuance solution)as well as the applications, the middleware and associated helpdesk services with Zetes Burótica, the Portuguese subsidiary of Belgian Zetes Industries. The Results million cards per year. birth certificates, tion, etc) August 2007

Due to the visual nature of identity cards, highsecu rityprinting techniques were used on the card body itself augmenting the physical security of the document.

The Results

A first pilot phase started February 14 2007 in the Acores region, with a full rollout expected in 2008 with more than 2 million cards per year. Numerous public services are now available on-line and procedures that would have taken hours (obtaining civil records/ birth certificates, Social Security declaration, etc) now take a matter of seconds.

Key events and dates for Portugal

August 2007 –Following the Azores pilot, the Portuguese government has started rolling out its Citizen Card to recipients on the mainland. This will gradually spread to other regions from October 2007.

February 2007 –Portugal issues the first e-ID card compliant with the IAS (Identification Authentication Signature) European standard, as defined by CEN 224 WG 15. First cards issued in the Azores islands before generalization to the continent in the autumn. Five services in a single card:identification, tax payment card, voting card, social insurance card, health card. Facial and digital biometrics included in the chip.

March 2007 – Creation of the AMA – Agency for the Public Services Reform. January 2007 –Electronic billing is generalized.

January 2006 –Any Professional subject to pay tax –businesses and independents – must declare their tax on--line.

July 2005 –Launch of the initiative and service “Create a business in an hour”

January 2005 –Launch of the e-Procurement and public procurement national portal

November 2004 –Plan renewed by the UMIC, the national agency for the development of the knowledge society and e-Government in order to reduce bureaucracy and improve the administrative services and productivity.

March 2004 –the national citizens portal (Portal do Cidadão) replaces the INFOCID portal

2001 –INFOCID becomes the national portal for citizens ’and businesses ’e- Government

2000 –the operational aspect of the plan for the information society is adopted – investment of 625 million euros

1998 –Launch of the “digital cities ” program to improve administrative services and reinforce the competitiveness of businesses.

1997 –Approval by the council of ministers of the Green Paper on the development of the information society in Portugal

1991 – Creation of INFOCID, interdepartmental information system for citizens, a collaborative network of all state organizations that liaise with citizens.

Strategic Priorities:

The aim of Portugal ’s e-Government plan is to transform the public sector into an integrated and collaborative customeroriented entity, thereby positioning Portugal among the leading countries in terms of quality of service to citizens and businesses. The increase in citizens ’satisfaction regarding these multi-channel services delivered 24/7 should in time lead to a true international recognition of the quality on offer and a feeling of pride on the part of the citizens for their public services.

Efficient infrastructures and equipment:

The citizens ’card has been deployed since February 2007.

An architecture of government portals federated by the national plan for e-Government with:

A Citizens Portal
A Government Portal
A Cultural Portal
A Portal for Local Administrative Services
A Portal for Autonomous Regions
A Portal for Public Procurement
A “citizen shop ”physical relay over the entire territory
Broadband access in all schools
A national library network to democratize access to knowledge


Gemalto
Stefane Mouille
Health Care Marketing Manager
Avenue du Jujubier
Z. I. Athelia IV
13705 La Ciotat Cedex
France
Tel. :+33 44236 4446
Mobile:+33 608 97 19 28
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www.gemalto.com

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