As the number of Internet services increase rapidly and more and more
consumers become active users, the management of the user's own identity in
the Internet has become scattered. Often sensitive personal information is stored in a large number of databases, without any knowledge of who owns them. At the
same time, the number of identity thefts and Internet frauds are skyrocketing.

Soon Internet users will demand safe methods to store their personal information with trusted service providers. At the same time, they want to use the large offer of Internet services freely. The users will also require that the authentication methods develop in a more user-friendly direction so that the security solutions are not preventing the use of Internet.

NorthID believes that the development in the Internet will bring out a new generation of identity management services. The new generation service providers have the trust of the consumers. They will be able to safely combine the user controlled Internet identities with their verified identities, and still be user-friendly.

Based on the NorthID vision, the following technologies and standards have a key role in the new generation identity management methods.

• Secure communication protocols and cryptographic methods, which offer the technological basis for secure identity services.
• Strong authentication token technologies, such as two-factor authentication methods and PKI technologies.
• Federated authentication architectures, which integrate the relying parties and identity service providers into large interoperable and international networks of trust.