Identity Management & Privacy

Secure identity and privacy technologies for a safe digital society

Alberto Crespo

Blockchain, Identity & Privacy Head of Unit

Mission

Our mission focuses on the provision of key technological enablers for trust, privacy and security -with focus on decentralised and user-centric identity management for persons and smart things, distributed ledger-based solutions and privacy enhancing technologies- enabling secure interoperability across domains and borders over heterogeneous digital services value chains and data spaces, in compliance with regulatory frameworks such as GDPR, revised eIDAS regulation (European Digital Identity Framework), NIS 2 Directive, Single Digital Gateway Regulation and European Data Strategy, among others. By placing people and their digital rights at the centre of research and technology, we focus on developing technology assets and trustworthy solutions aligned with Atos Cybersecurity Services and Products roadmaps and offerings for Atos customers, fostering competitive advantages in an increasingly complex and distributed environment with multiple state-of-art technologies and promoting the sustainability of the digital transformation.

The Blockchain, Identity and Privacy Unit builds on many years of experience accumulated in projects from multiple European research and innovation funding programmes delivering tangible value in multiple domains to end-users and strategic stakeholders to operate in secure and trusted digital environments. It acts as a reference point within Atos Research & Innovation to provide resources, technical support, and expertise over a comprehensive range of research and innovation initiatives related to the technologies under its scope, be it research on the technologies themselves, improvements, linking with other technologies, or research about applications in specific vertical markets, across domains, or in relation to strategic industry and policy-driven initiatives.

Vision

In a context of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, including different forms of identity-related crimes and privacy breaches as well as attacks targeting smart devices and critical and data sharing infrastructures, we work to efficiently protect who and what we are, and to ensure control over the data we own and use addressing -in all aspects of life involving ICT and online services- fundamental human rights and freedoms including the right to personal data protection. Leveraging Atos experience as leader in cybersecurity, we approach technological development in this field from 3 complementary perspectives:

Secure Digital Society: In full alignment with European policy on cybersecurity and the development of the Digital Single Market, trusted digital identity and access management for persons and devices, distributed ledgers and privacy technologies are delivered as key enablers of Trust for citizens, to interact safely online, and for businesses, addressing Digital Transformation / Industry 4.0 and the challenges of our digital economy, from customer remote digital onboarding and digital workplace security to self-sovereign use of data from personal wallets and in data spaces to name a few applications.
Preserving fundamental rights through digitisation: technological development in full alignment with European policy on cybersecurity and rooted in digital rights and principles. Based on European values, the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms in a highly digitised society requires trust-enhancing, privacy-preserving and effective security technologies to counter the risks in a complex context of accelerated digitisation, with ubiquitous personal and business digital interactions and cross-sector and cross-border electronic data exchange involving persons and devices.
Business competitive advantage: based on having in focus both end-user and customer concerns in this regard and the existing threats which create social alarm and hamper trust in eServices of global digital markets and ICT systems in general. The assurance of identity, data security and advanced privacy protection, supported on self-sovereign paradigms and the use of resilient and accountable distributed mechanisms (Blockchain) with reliable trust anchors, create key competitive advantage for Atos and for our public and private partners and provide support for achieving digital and data sovereignty.

Value

We work with a wide range of end-users who have validated over time our solutions in several different areas:

Cross-border and cross-sectoral identity management for digital public and private services (and which has been the basis of highly influential Regulations such as eIDAS)
User-centric, self-sovereign, mobile identity management solutions (personal digital identity wallets) aligned with international standards, upcoming European Digital Identity Framework and piloted across-borders integrated with European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI)
Highly secure sensitive data assets protection in eHealth and Financial Services
Use of Blockchain technologies for distributed/decentralized applications, Smart Contracts for advanced governance and automation and secure transactions with transparency, immutability and non-repudiation
Unique capabilities and know-how in smart border control management

Our unique selling proposition focuses on electronic identity management and advanced personal data protection solutions where we act as technology providers, integrators, and consultants for verticals in public and private sectors.