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MyData Operator Network Enables Smooth Data Flow – User Consent Is the Key Nixu Corporation
December 2019 by Marc Jacob
Cybersecurity company Nixu was involved in the implementation of the service pilot conducted in Finland by Vastuu Group and the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom. The pilot enables flexible data flows between organizations, service providers and users. The service is based on MyData principles according to which individuals themselves manage their own data.
When a construction worker starts work at a construction site in Finland, the supervisor must be able to verify which equipment the worker is allowed to use and if the worker has, for example, a valid driver’s license. Construction workers are required to carry these documents with them and keep them safe. Verification takes time and document management is not always easy.
Technology allows the digitalization of such processes, but the smooth sharing of information has in many cases been difficult due to the complexity of agreements and legal aspects in Finland.
To solve this problem, Vastuu Group has developed a MyData operator platform. All operators sharing or requiring information can join the MyData service, with the various operators obtaining access to the required data quickly and easily based on user consent.
How does MyData work?
In the first pilot, the MyData service was published for Traficom’s driver’s license database. When user identification has taken place in the MyData service, the user receives a request to share his or her driver’s license information. The request is received through the Wallet application that functions as the user interface for the service. The user decides which parties can see and retrieve the information and what information the user discloses. When information is shared, organizations can view the information without any separate measures required from the user.
The parties ordering the service gain access to the service provider’s data flow based on user authorization. If the person revokes the authorization, the data flow can no longer be accessed.
In the future, there may be interfaces for several different operators in Finland, such as insurance companies, card payment service providers, the police and other organizations. For example, users could use a single application to provide authorities with access to information that is required for permit processing and generated by other organizations instead of the user searching for and providing such information separately.
Vastuu Group initiated the MyData pilot, and the company also played a key role in the development of the MyData solution architecture. Cybersecurity company Nixu has been building technical solutions on top of which the MyData solution was built. In particular, Nixu has been responsible for access management and authorization solutions.
Blockchains used for company identity management
The next phases of the pilot will involve the use of blockchain technology. In the MyData service concept, blockchain technology is used to maintain a compatible company identity register. With this register, the service is not dependent on any single operator.
The means provided by blockchain technology will enable information sharing for
everyone in the MyData operator network. Operators can leave or join the network regardless of what others do. All activities are stored in a blockchain, and the information is openly available. No personal user data is stored in blockchains.
This solution was acknowledged at the European Identity & Cloud Conference that was held in Munich last May. Vastuu Group (formerly Tilaajavastuu) and Traficom were awarded for the best blockchain identity solution that applied MyData principles and was aimed at consumers.
Several public and private organizations have already expressed their interest in
joining the MyData network. As the number of operators using the service grows, so will opportunities for new, digital business.
