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Are you looking for a comprehensive introduction to MOSIP, the Modular Open Source Identity Platform? Are you wondering how it can help governments develop successful digital identity programs? Then this blog post is for you! Here, we will explore the features of MOSIP, its open source nature, security standards, and interoperability support. With this knowledge, you will be better equipped to take advantage of the digital identity solutions offered by MOSIP. So let's get started!
MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform) is an open-source platform designed to help governments develop digital identity programs. It provides the tools necessary to create, manage, and store digital identities securely and consistently.
Inspiring by India Aadhaar and located at the International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore (IIIT-B), the world's largest digital identity system, MOSIP is designed to meet the needs of countries looking to develop their own digital identity systems. MOSIP offers extensive, interconnected modules that provide the complete capabilities and features required. These include identity registration, data storage and management, identity authentication, and more.
MOSIP has developed comprehensive standards and specifications for digital identity devices, software development kits (SDKs), and additional components with the intent to ensure the ID system's reliability and security, as well as to support interoperability. Moreover, MOSIP strongly prioritizes user privacy and security. It has an array of features such as misuse prevention, identity theft prevention, consent support, sensitive data protection, and more. All these features act together to fortify user data's safety and integrity in the digital identity world.
With the goal of promoting trust and assurance in building digital identity systems, MOSIP also provides compliance protocols that guarantee transparency and audibility. The unified features embedded within MOSIP make it a powerful platform that can help governments build successful national ID programs that people can trust.
MOSIP serves as a foundational platform that needs various components to build a complete national ID ecosystem. To ensure quality and interoperability while avoiding vendor lock-in, MOSIP provides compliance standards for both hardware and software providers. These standards cover all the necessary aspects of constructing digital identity systems, including biometric devices, biometric SDKs, ABIS, and other integral parts of the system.
By 2022, MOSIP (Modular Open-Source Identification Platform) had collaborated with nine countries to aid in the construction of their national ID systems. This led to a total of 76 million registrations spread across locations including the Philippines, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Ethiopia, the Republic of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, and the Togolese Republic – resulting in 48 million IDs being issued altogether. According to MOSIP's 2022 YEARBOOK report.
MOSIP allows governments and organizations to customize it to fulfill their specific needs with its modular approach. As the bedrock, MOSIP provides a platform that facilitates identity-related services such as ID issuance, verification, and lifecycle management. By utilizing its APIs, SDKs, protocols, standards, and other technical resources developers are able to construct foundational identity systems according to the country's specific needs.
For a successful MOSIP-based national ID system, countries can start by choosing pertinent modules that suit their requirements and existing infrastructures, then customizing them to fit the local environment. With over 20 module options like pre-registration, registration, ID repository, authentication data sharing, key management - and more - to choose from; once they have decided on any preferred setup all that's left is for the system integrator to configure and launch it based on the country's specific needs. Finally, countries can leverage the platform by integrating it into use cases such as financial inclusion or healthcare services.
Here are the three tiers of a successful foundational identity system working in conjunction with MOSIP:
This layer is the system's fundamental core, providing the technology backbone such as open APIs and standards via MOSIP for communication between applications and other layers. It also offers identity services such as registration, verification, and lifecycle management.
This layer adds customizations to the MOSIP platform. This layer is responsible for configuring and integrating required components such as biometric devices, SDKs, and other third-party components.
This layer is the topmost layer that completes the whole system by integrating all of the required components and services. It provides all the necessary information, applications, and processes to make sure the system works as intended.
Biometric devices are integral to the development of a successful foundational identity system, and they provide a range of necessary functions like registration, KYC (Know Your Customer) verification, and authentication. Therefore, for governments, system integrators, and other stakeholders to get the most out of MOSIP, it is beneficial to become familiar with MOSIP-compliant biometric devices.
A MOSIP-compliant biometric device is one that complies with MOSIP's SBI standards. The SBI (Secure Biometric Interface) standards are intended to ensure the security, reliability, and interoperability of biometric devices used in digital identity systems. Compliance indicates that the device has been thoroughly tested to meet the stringent requirements of MOSIP.
MOSIP-compliant biometric devices can be equipped to scan and authorize access using fingerprint, face, or iris data. In order to qualify as a MOSIP-compliant device, the device must support certain key features including:
Developing a secure digital identity system is only achievable with the proper features, and this is bolstered through reliable biometric devices. MOSIP provides testing kits to guarantee that each device used in any program is compliant with their stringent standards. These kits were designed for developers, project managers, and technical teams to self-evaluate the effectiveness of their selected biometric devices before fully integrating them into national ID systems.
In addition to the standard SBI certification, MOSIP also provides compliance assessment and consulting services. The goal of these services is to help device providers understand the requirements for device certification and ensure their device is compliant with MOSIP standards.
Being certified as a MOSIP-compliant device ensures that the device is secure, reliable, and meets MOSIP’s standards for digital identity systems. Companies can register their device with MOSIP and get them certified as compliant. This gives them access to the larger digital identity ecosystem. Also, governments can be sure that the devices they use to meet the highest standards for quality and safety.
After understanding the components and functionalities of MOSIP, it is easy to see why governments and system integrators find this platform attractive. The following are some of the core benefits of using MOSIP to develop digital identity systems:
Since MOSIP is open source, the cost involved in setting up an identity system using MOSIP is much lower than if you were to develop your solution from scratch.
MOSIP comes pre-loaded with security requirements and data privacy protocols that ensure the safety of the system’s users.
MOSIP is developed with an intention of interoperability, allowing for the effortless transmission of data between systems. This promotes flexibility and enables easy integration of new technologies to ensure that you are never locked in.
Establishing a digital identity system with MOSIP is effortless since the platform already has all of its required technical components. Moreover, its modular and extensible build allows for straightforward customization to satisfy your exact requirements - if something shifts in the future, you won't have to start over again.
MOSIP is uniquely built to conveniently expand, granting users the luxury of adjusting their digital identity system as needed. This adaptable design makes it easy for MOSIP to adjust according to larger user bases without any disruption.
The open-source nature of MOSIP also prevents any vendor lock-in or technical lock-in, providing you with complete freedom to choose the service providers that best fit your requirements.
It's easy to comprehend why MOSIP has rapidly become the preferred choice for governments and system integrators wishing to create digital identity systems. The open-source nature, cost savings, scalability, and interoperability of MOSIP are clear benefits that make it an excellent option for any digital identity project.
Digital identity systems are now seen as a critical component of governments striving to deliver better services and secure their citizens, improving welfare and driving economic growth. With the current digitalization that has taken place in the world, MOSIP is positioned to become an invaluable asset for any government looking to create digital identity systems.
Choosing to incorporate MOSIP into the digital identity system is a wise and economical decision. Governments and integration partners can develop secure, dependable, and compatible systems that match their specific needs with this platform's support. This thorough overview has outlined all the features of MOSIP as well as its components’ advantages. With knowledge about what it provides, nations have total confidence that their biometric identification infrastructure will be strong-willed, durable, plus affordable!
It's time to embrace the digital future. With MOSIP, governments can be sure that their digital identity programs will have a solid foundation for success!
