passports certificates15 Dec 2021 09:03
Verifiable Credentials, Crossword Cybersecurity plc and East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust to work on Covid-19 Certificates Trial
10 November 2020 - London, UK - Crossword Cybersecurity Plc (AIM:CCS, "Crossword", the "Company" or the "Group"), the technology commercialisation company focused solely on cyber security and risk, is pleased to announced that it will be working with Verifiable Credentials Ltd (VCL) and East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust on a "proof of concept" trial using VCL's verifiable credentials application independent middleware. InnovateUK have awarded funding to support the trial to create a local system that allows NHS testing laboratories in East Kent to issue Covid-19 immunity certificates to individuals to hold securely on their smartphones, and for selected organisations to check the validity of those certificates when presented to them wherever they are, without compromising any unnecessary personal information.
VCL issued the following statement:
"We're all looking forward to the day when a Covid-19 vaccinations are available to everyone, in order to save lives and get life back to normal. But it won't be an instant process and there will be a potentially long period during which people will sometimes need to prove (for example, to employers and public or hospitality industry venue managers) that they have either received a vaccination, or been positively tested for antibodies from a previous infection.
It's hugely important that such certification is secure, trust-worthy and verifiable by those who need to check them at places of work, or hospitality venues. It must above all ensure the privacy of the individual certificate holder and allow them to prove immunity, without compromising other personal data such as their date-of-birth, or home address.
For this reason, Verifiable Credentials Ltd (VCL), East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust and Crossword Cybersecurity plc (Crossword) have been awarded InnovateUK funding to conduct a "proof of concept" trial using VCL's application independent Identiproof middleware.
Together they will create a local system that allows NHS testing laboratories in East Kent to issue Covid-19 certificates to individuals to hold securely on their smartphones, and for selected organisations to check the validity of those certificates when presented to them wherever they are, without compromising any unnecessary personal information. VCL and Crossword will lead the work on the longer-term commercialisation of the system demonstrated during the trial."
Identiproof is a Zero Trust Architecture, being an implementation of the W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model, together with VCL's own W3C Web Authentication (FIDO2) compatible protocol.
An East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: "This is a good example of local innovators working with local NHS organisations to develop innovative ideas. Bei