The Identity Bank

    The  purpose of an Identity Bank (IDB) is to provide anyone the ability to create, own, and control their digital identity.  In it’s most basic form the IDB is a secure document repository consisting of authenticated identity documents.  When an individual establishes their digital identity in the IDB they choose which documents they wish to include in their identity account then they request official copies be sent to the IDB.  The document authenticating process occurs when the IDB Certifying Officer examines received documents, verifies the source and authenticity of each document, and affixes a Certificate of Authenticity to each document.

    Authenticated documents are scanned and put in digital format.  These digitized documents are encrypted with a public encryption key and sent to the individual’s identity account.  A pubic encryption key is one of a unique pair of encryption keys generated by IDB administration at the time an identity account is created.  The second encryption key, known as the private key, is sent to the identity owners IDB account.  What is important to understand is when a document is encrypted by the IDB certifying officer using the public key the only way to decrypt it is by using the private key which is controlled by the identity owner.  It is this process that maintains the authenticity of identity documents and gives the identity owner full control of their digital identity.

    After the IDB authenticates, scans and encrypts a received document the paper copies are given to the identity owner because the IDB does not maintain any paper based documents.

        For security purposes the IDB document repository, which contains all identity owner accounts, is not directly accessible via the Internet.   When an identity owner requests access to an identity document the request goes through the IDB administrative system for authentication.  Upon successful authentication the request is forwarded to the IDB document repository which is a separate system.  A copy of the encrypted document is automatically decrypted, using the identity owner’s private encryption key, and sent to the IDB administrative system where it is put into a secure web environment.  The unencrypted document can then be viewed by the identity owner or viewed by a third party.  A third party can only view a document if they have been provided an access code generated by the identity owner.  Decrypted identity documents, viewable by third parties, remain in the secure web environment for the period of time specified by the access code.  All access code activity is logged and available for viewing giving the identity owner the ability to terminate any access code at any time which in turn deletes the unencrypted identity document.

    Anyone given permission to view an identity document can also view the Certificate of Authenticity which is assurance that the document came from its original source verified by the IDB Certifying Officer.

    The identity owner may choose to keep unencrypted identity documents in the secure web environment for an indefinite period.  The owner may also generate access codes that allow views of different combinations of identity documents for varying purposes.  For example, the owner might establish an access code for views of authenticated educational transcripts, a code for views of employment histories, a code for financial information, a code for medical records, or an access code for a résumé.

    Once an individual establishes their identity account in the IDB they can register their Social Security Number (SSN) and/or their Driver’s license number in the IDB SSN Registry.  This service is a separate system managed by the IDB administrative system and is the only service that can provide identity theft protection. The way the registry works is it provides the capability to verify the authenticity of a Social Security Number.  Should a thief attempt to use your SSN or driver’s license for any type of illegal transaction the SSN Registry can be accessed over the web (MySSNRegistry.com) to verify ownership.  If an individual’s SSN or driver’s license has been registered the owner’s message is displayed. The message can be anything, it might say to call you before any financial transaction occurs or, you may require a unique code to be entered.   

      Making use of the SSN and driver’s license registry will stop identity theft saving us billions of dollars each year.

    Establishing an identity account in the IDB is a free service.  The IDB is financially sustained through fees imposed on third parties who have been granted document view access by the identity owner.

    For any questions concerning the IDB email your questions to:

                        patrickkelly.com@gmail.com