~ February 2016 ~

Welcome from the Executive Director

"The Best is Yet to Come" is a promise and a phrase made popular by Frank Sinatra. The same can be said for IDESG members, as we begin to see the fruit of our efforts in the form of new initiatives for 2016. As the amount of healthcare-related data online increases, you'll see a new emphasis on healthcare, including efforts to map the Identity Ecosystem Framework to HIPAA, HITECH and other relevant healthcare requirements. The Privacy and International Committees will be exploring how the IDEF maps to the European Union Privacy Shield, as well as exploring the potential for new pilots creating a compliant way to securely share personal data across U.S.-EU boundaries. Finally, we'll be creating a new Identity of Things (IoT) committee to explore how the NSTIC Guiding Principles and the IDEF can "inform" the creation of an identity layer in connected homes, connected automobiles and wearable devices. You think you've seen the sun, but you ain't seen it shine. 2016 is going to be a great year.

~ Marc-Anthony Signorino, IDESG Executive Director

Chairperson's Corner

By Kimberly Little Sutherland, Plenary Chair

One needn't look any further than our most recent Plenary to see how the IDESG is rapidly maturing as an organization, and positioning itself as the leader in online identity protection. The meeting featured key updates from IDESG Treasurer Neville Pattinson, who outlined the organization's strategic plan; a preview of the Self-Assessment Listing Service (SALS) by IDESG President Sal D'Agostino; and a birds-eye-view of ongoing marketing and outreach efforts by Vice Chair of the IDESG Management Council Ian Glazer and Vice Chair of the IDESG Board Mark DiFraia. NSTIC Pilot Coordinators Katerina Megas & Phil Lam also provided an insightful look at concurrent efforts by various pilots.

Perhaps most significantly, the Plenary approved changes to the Bylaws and Charter that will allow us to throw our full weight into operationalizing the framework we introduced last fall and actualize the Self-Assessment Listing Service (SALS), to be the leading tool that empowers organizations to improve the way they handle identities. While I couldn't be more thrilled to relay such impressive milestones, I call on each of you to help preserve this momentum, ahead of the SALS launch, by continuing to drive thoughtful and innovative conversations in and around identity and the IDESG.

A Note from IDESG's President

Although some of you may have missed the finer points of recent changes to the IDESG organization, the recent vote to approve the new Bylaws and Charter more firmly sets the organization on a path to success. By voting to eliminate multiple election cycles, consolidate leadership with the elected board and maintain members' rights to vote, the IDESG is making its move from being internally focused to being an externally-dedicated organization.

While subtle, these changes position us to stare down an ambitious agenda for the coming year - a year in which our organization will welcome new members and institute a dues structure to move the IDESG toward self-sustainment. They signify a strategic push to engage critical stakeholders and create momentum in the quest to provide a safer online environment. This moment is also an important precursor to opening the IDESG for business, and our new structure better positions the IDESG to welcome new customers for the Self-Assessment Listing Service (SALS). These actions continue the great strides made over the last part of 2015, and they position us well to carry that momentum throughout 2016.

We're maturing as an organization and providing a platform to deliver on the Administration's ambitious goals to enable protected identities in cyberspace. I very much look forward to working with the IDESG membership and to engaging with those who are yet to be members and customers to make this happen.

~ Salvatore D'Agostino, IDESG President

From the NSTIC NPO

On February 17th, the NSTIC NPO released a draft of NISTIR 8103: Advanced Identity Workshop on Applying Measurement Science in the Identity Ecosystem - Summary and Next Steps. This document summarizes the discussion points from our successful workshop last month and provides insight into how we intend to move forward with defining measurement science and metrics in digital identity management. Read Paul Grassi's related NSTIC Note here.

Additional comments, feedback, and guidance on the content or our process can be sent to NSTICworkshop@nist.gov. For more information, please visit the NSTIC Notes blog.

Upcoming Events

IDESG Executive Director Marc-Anthony Signorino will speak at the annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition, to be held February 29-March 4 in Las Vegas, NV. His session will explore the prospective mapping of the IDEF to HIPAA and HI TECH, to streamline the SALS application process for healthcare companies, and the importance of extending the identity layer into wearable devices (such as Fitbits and connected scales). View more information on HIMSS16 here.

Signorino also will speak at the Smart Card Alliance's first Government/Smart Card Industry Day, to be held March 2 at the new National Center for Advanced Payments and Identity Security in Arlington, VA. For additional information, contact the Smart Card Alliance.

IDESG Management Council Vice Chair Ian Glazer be a panelist at the International Association of Privacy Professionals' (IAPP) Global Privacy Summit, to be held April 3-4 in Washington, DC. View additional information on his The Maze of Online Retail: Privacy, Security, Notice and Consent session here.

IDESG President Sal D'Agostino will be a featured speaker at the Connected Security Expo (CSE), to be held April 6-8 in Las Vegas, NV. His session, titled Privacy, Usability, Security and Interoperability the Rules of the Connected Road, will examine the evolving set of requirements to conduct global e-commerce. Find more information on the conference here.

Have an Event to Share?

To share your speaking engagements or presentations with IDESG members, send a hyperlink or attachment to idesg@connellyworks.com and a link will be included in the next newsletter.

This newsletter was prepared by the Identity Ecosystem Steering Group, Inc. using Federal funds under award 70NANB14H215 from the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NIST, NSTIC, or the U.S. Department of Commerce.