TrustGrid
The availability of fake COVID-19 vaccination certificates on the internet, and the ease with which certificates can be forged using basic software, has underscored the vulnerability of Australia's current system.
As more Australians roll up their sleeves to get the COVID-19 jab, there is increasing demand for clarity on how the Government will ease restrictions once vaccine targets are reached.
But the promise of fewer lockdowns, greater freedom of movement, easier interstate and international travel and life returning to a pre-COVID state hinges on an effective, secure and tamper-proof digital vaccination certificate system. As well as preventing forgeries, the system needs to enable certificates to be machine read so they can be verified accurately and quickly.
"At the moment, the federal system in place is not as effective and secure as it could be and needs to be. There are flaws. We've already seen Senator Rex Patrick show how easy it is to create a fraudulent digital COVID vaccination certificate," says Mr David Palmer, Chief Digital Privacy Officer at TrustGrid.
"Australia needs one seamless, cohesive system that will quickly and accurately validate the vaccination status of an individual, open up the doors for free movement and be trusted by all Australians."
"It's vital that Australia gets this system right the first time – if we don't get it right, it will bring a lot of pain.
"The potential for certificates to be forged is a major issue that needs to be addressed urgently. Fortunately, there are means and techniques available to avoid such mistakes being made, and to ensure that Australia's digital COVID vaccination system can be trusted to protect Australians now and into the future."
TrustGrid has developed a digital trust ecosystem already used by state government and the private sector. It combines confidential computing, innovative cryptography and data privacy in a highly customizable identity platform.
Using data encryption and distributed ledger technology, governments can create the digital trust ecosystem that can machine validate vaccinations and certifications without exposing underlying personal data.
The data is encrypted in a distributed ledger system, like that used in blockchain technology, so information is synchronized across multiple servers and cannot be hacked. No one, including TrustGrid's software engineers can view or change the data passed through the network. A unique identifier is issued to an individual verifying their credentials.
Mr Palmer says that key to the integrity of a secure and effective digital vaccination certificate system is issuing individuals with a unique QR code, giving individuals full control over the access, tracking and use of their data during all interactions.
"The QR code is a way forward. Just as it has helped people check in and out of locations and that information being traced and verified, the QR code has the ability to link information to show an individual's vaccine status," he explains.
"So once someone is vaccinated, the government would issue that person with a unique QR code that would be recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register. The QR code allows for the binding of a photograph of a person along with their name, date of birth and vaccination status and all that information is cryptographically protected so the individual has control of that data.
"TrustGrid could act as a secure and trusted conduit of this information, just as it currently is with Service NSW's digital licensing system that is powered by TrustGrid. NSW citizens trust that system when they use the NSW Service app for driver's licence, personal watercraft and fishing licence information. People can equally trust that information on their COVID-19 vaccination status will be handled in the same secure way."
Mr Palmer says TrustGrid is designed in a way that information about vaccination status is supplied by the government with the digital ecosystem simply transferring that in an encrypted way. This ensures privacy is maintained and, importantly, the information cannot be changed, solving the problem of fake certificates being created.
Mr Palmer says as Australia nears the Doherty Institute modelling vaccination target of a 70 per cent vaccination rate and the promise of greater freedoms, it's vital that this isn't compromised by the threat posed by fake digital vaccination certificates.
He says the chosen system also has to be cohesive and to operate effectively between states and globally.
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