If eIDs are to be successfully established in Germany, significantly more use cases are needed to fully realise the added value of digital identities. Digital communication is a rich field for use cases, since most messages and data are exchanged digitally nowadays. At Cryptshare, we have therefore taken action and successfully integrated the first eID into our secure digital communication solution.
Find out why creating use cases is so important for the success of eIDs in Germany.
eID integration brings users more benefits
At Cryptshare, we have always been concerned with providing our customers with secure and reliable digital logistics to protect their data in digital communication. For over 20 years, we have therefore been constantly developing our communication solution; we are continuously improving it and ensuring that it always adapts to our customers’ requirements and needs. Creating more security and usability has always been our main concern, because our customers are what our work is all about.
We will continue to follow this path and have now taken another important step forward with our first integration of an eID: We have combined email encryption and secure file transfer with trustworthy proof of identity for sender and recipient. This is ‘hard’ authentication that goes far beyond standard commercial methods and opens up many new use cases for digital B2B as well as B2C communication. Business email – simple and future-proof.
A means for communication that is used around the world and billions of times a day: email.
For users, the integration of eIDs has decisive advantages:
- In business communication, messages and files can be exchanged in a protected way; however, with hard authentication there is more traceability about who has sent and received them.
- Usability is taken to a whole new level – using eIDs eliminates the need for cumbersome password management, which also creates more security.
"We always strive to make our solution even more secure and user-friendly. Thanks to our partnership with Signicat, users can simply use the eID they are already familiar with for secure communication. The risk of unauthorised access to shared files through stolen passwords is thus history. In addition, the combination of encryption and identity-based access management offers legal security for information exchanges."
Dominik Lehr, CEO of Cryptshare
Which eID has Cryptshare integrated?
Using digital identities in Germany will eventually become as common as using analogue ones (such as the national identity card). They will be used even more frequently due to their broad application possibilities because they offer clear identification anywhere and at any time by means of a smartphone. This will enable anyone to complete transactions or errands simply and digitally.
eIDs as part of digital identities has created great added value in other European countries. For example, in Sweden, BankID is already firmly anchored in people’s everyday lives. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Germany due to a lack of use cases. There are in fact regular exchanges between authorities, companies, and consumers, resulting in plenty of opportunities for eID implementation in Germany.
Enormously popular: on average, in Sweden over 95% of 21-70 year-olds have a BankID.
Since sensitive information is frequently sent, it not only makes sense to protect such data in transit but also to ensure that sender and recipient are really who they claim to be. In the future, clear proof of identity will become an integral part of any digital communication that wants to be considered secure.
The Cryptshare team recognised the added value of eIDs and made digital logistics even more secure and easy for all parties involved by starting to integrate them. Cryptshare has long been a digital transfer service that uses encryption to securely transfer messages and files of all types. When combined with our eID integration, Cryptshare’s security is heightened further and operates based on the Zero Trust Model: data is only made available to those for whom it was intended.
In order to address the largest possible user base, we have therefore decided to first integrate Swedish BankID into Cryptshare to create new use cases in digital communication. Due to the high prevalence and frequent use of BankID, the Swedish market needed BankID to be integrated into a secure communication solution. With Cryptshare+BankID, a digital message or data transfer is not only secure during transit between sender and recipient, but there is also clear proof of identity about who sent and who received the transfer.
Didn't make it into the top ten: Coming in at 79.33, Germany lands in 18th place in a worldwide ranking of digital competitiveness (this represents only an excerpt of the Statista graph).
Swedish Cryptshare customers can now use BankID, by far the most widely used eID in Sweden, for their secure digital communication. Using Cryptshare with eID works in the usual, straight-forward way that customers know and love.
How does Cryptshare’s integration of BankID work?
At Cryptshare, both security and usability have always been centre stage. Therefore, we have made sure that the exchange of messages and files with Cryptshare+BankID continued to be as easy and intuitive as always. After all, security can only be successful if it goes hand in hand with usability. This is the very reason why our integration stands out and appeals to end users.
From the sender's point of view, the use of Swedish BankID in Cryptshare works as follows:
Step1: Select BankID and click 'Next'.
Step 2: Select BankID for mobile or desktop.
Step 3: Enter password for BankID and click 'Verify my identity'.
From the recipients’ perspective, a Cryptshare transfer using BankID looks like this:
Step 1: Select BankID for mobile or desktop.
Step 2: Enter password for BankID and click 'Verify my identity'.
Conclusion:
Cryptshare users don’t need any training to use the BankID function in their exchanges with others, whether they are the sender or the recipient of a transfer. Using it is intuitive and possible without any additional effort.
What's next for Cryptshare and eIDs?
"Digital identity is the most important digitalisation project"
Markus Richter, Federal Government Commissioner
for Information Technology ('Federal CIO').
Digital identities will play a central role for successful digitalisation in the future. Their use offers a significant increase in traceability, particularly in digital communication. Additionally, clear proof of identity by means of eIDs can increase usability because tedious password management is avoided.
Email: Still gateway number one for the costliest type of cyber crime.
At Cryptshare, we will continue to dedicate ourselves to the topic of digital identities. To bring eIDs into practice for authorities, enterprises, and consumers alike, we plan to gradually integrate more eIDs into our communication solution.
