National Electronic Identity Management: The Challenge of a citizen-centric Approach beyond Technical Design

Abstract

National governments across Europe are currently introducing electronic identity management systems for enhancing security and gathering more unified forms of authentication for online public services. A particular challenge of security system design is to cope with the suspense between security and usability. This is strongly reflecting in identity management where this suspense becomes very apparent. Thus, for the success of identity management systems a certain focus on user centricity is demanded. This paper analyzes the system in Austria with respect to important determinants of a citizen-centric identity management approach, deduced from security usability issues, interrelated with factors for user perception as provided by the Technology Acceptance Model. The result reveals a biased picture of user centricity with an essential need for a stronger consideration of user perception and the provision of additional benefits addressing a perceivable user value.