Towards a Mobile-First Cross-Border eID Framework

Roland Czerny, Christian Paul Kollmann, Blaz Podgorelec, Bernd Prünster, Thomas Zefferer

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference paperpeer-review

Abstract

The eIDAS technical framework has been successfully enabling cross-border e-government processes for many years. When initially conceived, today’s user habits and the prevalence and ubiquity of smartphones was nothing but a glimmer on the horizon. As a consequence, the concepts, technologies chosen, and technical standards used to carry out cross-border authentication were designed and chosen with browser-based user flows in mind. In this context, the network of eIDAS nodes and the interfaces defined to integrate them with all kinds of different national eID systems has stood the test of time. At the same time, however, transitioning these workflows to a mobile setting presents various significant challenges: Instead of using a single application (a web browser) to orchestrate the interaction of eID systems, eIDAS nodes and e-government service frontends (mostly using SAML), users are accustomed to using distinct native apps for every service and for interacting with eID systems. This work discusses different concepts essential for transitioning from such browser-based user flows to native app-to-app communication and combines them into a coherent concept. It presents a framework, which maintains browser compatibility, while at the same time providing all the benefits of native mobile apps, taking currently deployed eIDAS-based cross-border authentication to the next level by making it mobile-first, all without requiring invasive changes to existing infrastructure. As will be shown, a slew of technical constraints to overcome makes this a lofty goal, especially considering the heterogeneity of national eID systems which must obviously integrate well with the proposed concept
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 24th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research - Together in the Unstable World
Subtitle of host publicationDigital Government and Solidarity, DGO 2023
EditorsDavid Duenas Cid
PublisherAssociation of Computing Machinery
Pages526–535
Number of pages10
ISBN (Electronic)979-8-4007-0837-4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023
Event24th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research: dg.o 2023 - Gdansk, Poland
Duration: 11 Jul 202314 Jul 2023

Publication series

NameACM International Conference Proceeding Series

Conference

Conference24th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research
Abbreviated titledg.o 2023
Country/TerritoryPoland
CityGdansk
Period11/07/2314/07/23

Keywords

  • eGovernment
  • mGovernment
  • eIDAS
  • mobile cross-border authentication

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Software
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
  • Computer Networks and Communications

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