Extending the Belgian eID Technology with Mobile Security Functionality

Abstract

The Belgian Electronic Identity Card was introduced in 2002. The card enables Belgian citizens to prove their identity digitally and to sign electronic documents. Today, only a limited number of citizens really use the card in electronic applications. A major reason is the lack of killer functionality and killer applications. This paper presents two reusable extensions to the Belgian eID technology that opens up new opportunities for application developers. First, a secure and ubiquitously accessible remote storage service is presented. Second, we show how the eID card can be used to issue new certificates. To demonstrate the applicability and feasibility of both extensions, they are combined in the development of a secure e-mail application. The proposed solution offers strong privacy, security and key management properties while increasing the accessibility of confidential e-mail compared to existing solutions (such as PGP and S/MIME).

Identification and Governance Policies: The Legal, Technical, and Institutional Foundations that Influence the Relations and Interactions of the Citizen with the Government and Society

“…At present, the eID the population still views the cards with some skepticism. This is due mainly to security problems evinced by eID, and to the fact that many of the applications have not been widely accepted (Lapon, 2009). According to the European Information Society (EIS), the limited distribution of eID scanners has also contributed to the scant use of the card.…”