Category Archives: Cybersecurity

Trust in Digital IDs

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Or: “Whose identity is it anyway?”

Over the past few years, there have been a significant number of serious data breaches among among banks, utilities, telcos, insurers and public bodies. As a result, hackers are able to access the confidential data and financial records of millions of customers, leading to ransomware demands, wide dissemination of private information, identity theft, and multiple phishing attempts and similar scams.

What most of these hacks reveal is the vulnerability of centralised systems as well as the unnecessary storage of personal data – making these single points of failure a target for such exploits. Worse, the banks and others seem to think they “own” this personal data once they have obtained it, as evidenced by the way they (mis)manage it.

I fully understand the need for KYC/AML, and the requirement to verify customers under the 100 Points of Identification system. However, once I have been verified, why does each bank, telco and utility company need to keep copies or records of my personal data on their systems? Under a common 100 Points verification process, shouldn’t we have a more efficient and less vulnerable system? If I have been verified by one bank in Australia, why can’t I be automatically verified by every other bank in Australia (e.g., if I wanted to open an account with them), or indeed any other company using the same 100 Points system?

Which is where the concept of Self-Sovereign Identity comes into play. This approach should mean that with the 100 Points system, even if initially I need to submit evidence of my driver’s license, passport or birth certificate, once I have been verified by the network I can “retrieve” my personal data (revoke the access permission), or specify with each party on the network how long they can hold my personal data, and for what specific purpose.

This way, each party on the network does not need to retain a copy of the original documents. Instead, my profile is captured as a digital ID that confirms who I am, and confirms that I have been verified by the network; it does not require me to keep disclosing my personal data to each party on the network. (There are providers of Digital ID solutions, but because they are centralised, and unilateral, we end up with multiple and inconsistent Digital ID systems, which are just as vulnerable to the risk of a single point of failure…)

But of course, banks etc. insist that not only do they have to ask for 100 Points of ID each and every time I open an account, they are required to retain copies or digital versions of my personal data. Hence, we should not be surprised by the number of data hacks we keep experiencing.

The current approach to identity in banking, telcos and utilities is baffling. Just a few examples I can think of:

1. In trying to upgrade my current mobile phone plan with my existing provider, I had to re-submit personal information via a mobile app (and this is a telco that experienced a major hack last year, resulting in me having to apply for a new driver’s license). If I have already been verified, why the need to ask for my personal data again, and via a mobile app?

2. I’ve lived at my current address for more than 5 years. I still receive bank statements intended for the previous occupant. I have tried on numerous occasions to inform the bank that this person is no longer living here. I’ve used the standard “Return to Sender” method, and tried to contact the bank direct, but because I am not the named account addressee or authorised representative, they won’t talk to me. Fair enough. But, the addressee is actually a self-managed superannuation fund. Given the fallout from the Banking Royal Commission, and the additional layers of verification, supervision and audit that apply to such funds, I’m surprised that this issue has not been picked up the bank concerned. It’s very easy to look up the current registered address of an SMSF via the APRA website, if only the bank could be bothered to investigate why the statements keep getting returned.

3. I have been trying to remove the name of a former director as a signatory to a company bank account. The bank kept asking for various forms and “proof” that this signatory was no longer a director and no longer authorised to access the account. Even though I have done this (and had to pay for an accountant to sign a letter confirming the director has resigned their position), if the bank had bothered to look up the ASIC company register, they would see that this person was no longer a company officer. Meanwhile, the bank statements keep arriving addressed to the ex-director. Apparently, the bank’s own “systems” don’t talk to one another (a common refrain when trying to navigate legacy corporate behemoths).

In each of the above, the use of a Digital ID system would streamline the process for updating customer records, and reduce the risk of data vulnerabilities. But that requires effort on the part of the entities concerned – clearly, the current fines for data breaches and for misconduct in financial services are not enough.

Next week: AI vs IP  

 

Monash University Virtual Demo Day

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Last week I was invited to participate in a Virtual Demo Day for students enrolled in the Monash University Boot Camp, for the FinTech, Coding and UX/UI streams. The Demo Day was an opportunity for the students to present the results of their project course work and to get feedback from industry experts.

While not exactly the same as a start up pitch night, each project presented a defined problem scenario, as well as the proposed technical and design solution – and in some cases, a possible commercial model, but this was not the primary focus. Although the format of the Demo Day did not enable external observers to see all of the dozen-plus projects, overall it was very encouraging to see a university offer this type of practical learning experience.

Skills-based and aimed at providing a pathway to a career in ICT, the Boot Camp programme results in a Certificate of Completion – but I hope that undergraduates have similar opportunities as part of their bachelor degree courses. The emphasis on ICT (Cybersecurity and Data Analytics form other streams) is partly in response to government support for relevant skills training, and partly to help meet industry requirements for qualified job candidates.

Industry demand for ICT roles is revealing a shortage of appropriate skills among job applicants, no doubt exacerbated by our closed international borders, and a downturn in overseas students and skilled migration. This shortage is having a direct impact on recruitment and hiring costs, as this recent Tweet by one of my friends starkly reveals: “As someone who is hiring about 130 people right now, I will say this: Salaries in tech in Australia are going up right now at a rate I’ve never seen.” So nice work if you can get it!

As for the Demo Day projects themselves, these embraced technology and topics across Blockchain, two-sided marketplaces, health, sustainability, music, facilities management, career development and social connectivity.

The Monash Boot Camp courses are presented in conjunction with Trilogy Education Services, a US-based training and education provider. From what I can see online, this provider divides opinion as to the quality and/or value for money that their programmes offer – there seems to be a fair number of advocates and detractors. I can’t comment on the course content or delivery, but in terms of engagement, my observation is that the students get good exposure to key tech stacks, learn some very practical skills, and they are encouraged to follow up with the industry participants. I hope all of the students manage to land the type of opportunities they are seeking as a result of completing their course.

Next week: Here We Go Again…

Blockchain and the Limits of Trust

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Last week I was privileged to be a guest on This Is Imminent, a new form of Web TV hosted by Simon Waller. The given topic was Blockchain and the Limitations of Trust.

For a replay of the Web TV event go here

As regular readers will know, I have been immersed in the world of Blockchain, cryptocurrency and digital assets for over four years – and while I am not a technologist, I think know enough to understand some of the potential impact and implications of Blockchain on distributed networks, decentralization, governance, disintermediation, digital disruption, programmable money, tokenization, and for the purposes of last week’s discussion, human trust.

The point of the discussion was to explore how Blockchain might provide a solution to the absence of trust we currently experience in many areas of our daily lives. Even better, how Blockchain could enhance or expand our existing trusted relationships, especially across remote networks. The complete event can be viewed here, but be warned that it’s not a technical discussion (and wasn’t intended to be), although Simon did find a very amusing video that tries to explain Blockchain with the aid of Spam (the luncheon meat, not the unwanted e-mail).

At a time when our trust in public institutions is being tested all the time, it’s more important than ever to understand the nature of trust (especially trust placed in any new technology), and to navigate how we establish, build and maintain trust in increasingly peer-to-peer, fractured, fragmented, open and remote networks.

To frame the conversation, I think it’s important to lay down a few guiding principles.

First, a network is only as strong as its weakest point of connection.

Second, there are three main components to maintaining the integrity of a “trusted” network:

  • how are network participants verified?
  • how secure is the network against malicious actors?
  • what are the penalties or sanctions for breaking that trust?

Third, “trust” in the context of networks is a proxy for “risk” – how much or how far are we willing to trust a network, and everyone connected to it?

For example, if you and I know each other personally and I trust you as a friend, colleague or acquaintance, does that mean I should automatically trust everyone else you know? (Probably not.) Equally, should I trust you just because you know all the same people as me? (Again, probably not.) Each relationship (or connection) in that type of network has to be evaluated on its own merits. Although we can do a certain amount of due diligence and triangulation, as each network becomes larger, it’s increasingly difficult for us to “know” each and every connection.

Let’s suppose that the verification process is set appropriately high, that the network is maintained securely, and that there are adequate sanctions for abusing the network trust –  then it is possible for each connection to “know” each other, because the network has created the minimum degree of trust for the network to be viable. Consequently, we might conclude that only trustworthy people would want to join a network based on trust where each transaction is observable and traceable (albeit in the case of Blockchain, pseudonymously).

When it comes to trust and risk assessment, it still amazes me the amount of personal (and private) information people are willing to share on social media platforms, just to get a “free” account. We seem to be very comfortable placing an inordinate amount of trust in these highly centralized services both to protect our data and to manage our relationships – which to me is something of an unfair bargain.

Statistically we know we are more likely to be killed in a car accident than in a plane crash – but we attach far more risk to flying than to driving. Whenever we take our vehicle out on to the road, we automatically assume that every other driver is licensed, insured, and competent to drive, and that their car is taxed and roadworthy. We cannot verify this information ourselves, so we have to trust in both the centralized systems (that regulate drivers, cars and roads), and in each and every individual driver – but we know there are so many weak points in that structure.

Blockchain has the ability to verify each and every participant and transaction on the network, enabling all users to trust in the security and reliability of network transactions. In addition, once verified, participants do not have to keep providing verification each time they want to access the network, because the network “knows” enough about each participant that it can create a mutual level of trust without everyone having to have direct knowledge of each other.

In the asymmetric relationships we have created with centralized platforms such as social media, we find ourselves in a very binary situation – once we have provided our e-mail address, date of birth, gender and whatever else is required, we cannot be confident that the platform “forgets” that information when it no longer needs it. It’s a case of “all or nothing” as the price of network entry. Whereas, if we operated under a system of self-sovereign digital identity (which technology like Blockchain can facilitate), then I can be sure that such platforms only have access to the specific personal data points that I am willing to share with them, for the specific purpose I determine, and only for as long as I decide.

Finally, taking control of, and being responsible for managing our own personal information (such as a private key for a digital wallet) is perhaps a step too far for some people. They might not feel they have enough confidence in their own ability to be trusted with this data, so they would rather delegate this responsibility to centralized systems.

Next week: Always Look On The Bright Side…

 

Pitch X’s Winter Solstice

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The latest Pitch X event, organised by Academy Xi and hosted by YBF Ventures, was held a few days before the (Southern hemisphere) mid-winter – there may not have been any mulled wine, but there was still a warm atmosphere on a cold and wet Melbourne evening. The judging panel was drawn from YBF, Melbourne Angels, Linfox and Clearpoint Ventures.

The usual format applied: 11 startups were each given 90 seconds to pitch, followed by a 90 second Q&A with the judges. The top three were then brought back for a 5-minute pitch, and 4 minutes of Q&A.

The pitches, in order of presentation were (links in the names where available):

Startup 101

A self-styled online startup school, targeting university students and recent graduates. The core premise is that entrepreneurship is not being taught to undergraduates. The judges asked about the MVP, which was not clear, nor was there a breakeven forecast based on the number of students. The founder is offering a freemium model, based on memberships and services. Looking $500k for software development and marketing in China (a key demographic for this business).

Studio Ninja

This is a cloud and mobile PaaS solution for professional photographers. I first covered Studio Ninja in late 2016, when they pitched at a StartupVic event – and it’s great to see that they have managed to bootstrap themselves this far.

Professional photography is competitive, but margins are low. Studio Ninja offers an end-to-end platform for scheduling, contracts, payments etc. They have now integrated with Xero, QuickBoooks, Google, PayPal and Stripe, and have built a community via their chat app, Facebook group and Instagram account. At a basic $29.95 per month, they now have 4,000 paying subscribers, mainly in Australia, UK and US. but need to reinvest in product development, scaling and building further efficiencies. Users are offered a 30-day free trial, with an average 25% conversion rate, thanks to the hook of discounts for early sign-ups, plus a referral program.

RoamingDuck

Calling itself the “Uber of travel”, RoamingDuck offers travelers access to curated itineraries, based on their personal preferences. Using freelance resources (along the lines of Upwork and Airtaskr), the service uses a travel planning dashboard on which the customer and the curator can collaborate. With a quick turnaround, RoamingDuck can help customers build and review an itinerary within 12 hours. With the ability to consolidate and share, the content is easily accessible to users, who can plan anything – even supporting “self-plan” users with a search function.

Freelance curators come from the ranks of existing travel bloggers and services like Travelo, and are subject to a vetting process. There is also an escrow system, so freelances only get paid when the customer is satisfied. Normal travel agents are quite restricted on what they can access or offer, and services like Skyscanner are great for searching individual fares – RoamingDuck is solving the planning issue, and building the itinerary. Asked whether RoamingDuck can support actual bookings, the founder will likely implement this via APIs.

Wastr

According to the founder, households waste about 20% of the food they buy. Wastr is an AI-powered app that is designed to help consumers use what they purchase, rather than letting to go to waste. The solution allows subscribers to scan their grocery receipts, and in return they will receive recipes, notifications on expiry dates, plus other reminders. The app is offered under a freemium model, with a paid service starting at $2 per month.

VRWalker

Described as “VR for your foot” (or the “mouse” for VR), this is a motorised shoe device that allows wearers to experience”walking” within VR applications, without actually moving.
It’s an idea that has been around for a while, but the founder claims to have filed key patents. The shoes work on the concept of intuitive locomotion (linked to the dantian, or our centre of gravity), and are intended to be much cheaper and much more convenient than existing treadmill-based solutions. The founder hopes to have a working prototype by the end of this year. Likely customers will come from areas like construction, engineering and gaming. The judges asked about how insurance would be handled, and the device could be bundled with existing VR headset devices.

The Nurture Project

The Nurture Project is designed to teach life skills to deal with anxiety issues, which according to the founder, affect 30% of the population. Unlike other solutions, this treats the causes as well as the symptoms, using a well-being model built on 5 core pillars, and delivered via a 12-week online program. It is currently aimed at women in their 30s and 40s.

Natural MedTech

Designed to boost the immune, hormone and nervous system naturally, this has come out of a CSIRO project, with a scientific basis that has been peer-reviewed.

Magicast

This is a decentralised online podcast recording and editing service. Existing podcast software is either too complex, or too expensive. Instead, Magicast uses web-based programme development, publication and distribution, offering a two-sided marketplace for content, sound effects, music etc. The judges asked about international competitors, given that podcasting is very much a cottage industry, with relatively few barriers to entry.

Turtle

Something akin to an Uber courier service, Turtle enables customers to obtain goods from overseas that are not available where they live. Targeting expat and diaspora populations, the platform has an escrow function to provide a level of trust. It was not clear who would be responsible for tax, customs and quarantine issues.

Young Shaman Foundation

Having run a number of leadership development retreats on country for women in indigenous communities, the founder is now seeking funding to develop and extend the program she currently offers.

SecureStack

Helping companies to secure the cloud, with a focus on cyber security, the founder pointed out that key problems are caused by “cloud sprawl” – the uncontrolled proliferation of content, services and applications hosted and running on cloud-based servers. Using a proprietary cloud infrastructure security design, the startup has already secured two clients and $100k in revenues. Now looking to raise $2m, for an 18-month runway, in order to gain 100 clients. The solution is agnostic as to which cloud service clients use. Traditional cloud management and compliance is saturated, whereas SecureStack’s value proposition is in the security layers.

After much deliberation, the winners were:

1. StudioNinja
2. RoamingDuck
3. VR Walker

Next week: The Metaphorical Glass Jaw