Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel

Overview Sponsorship IDSP Workspace Participation Staff Contacts Frequently Asked Questions

The ANSI Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Management Standards Panel (IDSP) is a cross-sector coordinating body whose objective is to facilitate the timely development, promulgation and use of voluntary consensus standards and guidelines that will equip and assist the private sector, government and consumers in minimizing the scope and scale of identity theft and fraud.

The IDSP has released workshop reports on best practices for measuring identity theft [see related article] and calling for a national identity verification standard [see related article]. The panel also has produced a comprehensive report for businesses, government agencies, and other organizations in the fight against the theft of personal and financial information [see related article].

IDSP workshops typically involve making an inventory of existing standards and industry guidelines in a subject area, identifying gaps where new or updated guidance may be needed, and making recommendations regarding best practices or the desirability and feasibility of undertaking standards development activity. Workshops generally have at least one face-to-face kick-off meeting. While additional meetings may be held, usually much of the work can be accomplished electronically in a working group environment. Workshops culminate in the publication of a report that presents the workshop’s consensus-based findings and recommendations, which in turn may drive future standards development activity. The IDSP itself does not develop standards.

Periodically, the IDSP also convenes plenary meetings which are conferences that include reports on the progress of IDSP work underway, discussion of related identity issues, and exploration of topics that might be suitable for future workshops.

The IDSP is funded through private and public sector sponsorships and participation fees. ANSI is seeking major sponsors to help underwrite the costs of new IDSP workshops and plenary meetings as part of its ongoing efforts to explore how standards and best practices can help to mitigate identity theft and fraud in the marketplace.

Information on sponsorship opportunities is available here.

ANSI acknowledges the support of the following Sustaining Partners of the IDSP initiative:

The IDSP workspace [see login below] is a dedicated section of the ANSI website where participants can track progress to implement the IDSP recommendations. It includes discussion boards which enable virtual conversations to take place about steps already taken, in progress, or still needed to fulfill the recommendations. It also includes a template and discussion board for vetting new IDSP workshop proposals, a calendar for posting identity events, and an area for posting news items of interest. Alerts enable users to stay updated as items are added, changed or removed from the workspace. The site consolidates in one location the panel’s listserv archives and document libraries.

The IDSP workspace can be accessed by any interested stakeholder. The login for read-only anonymous access is as follows:

This enables users to view news items, calendar listings and discussion boards. In order to post comments, news and calendar items, or set up alerts, users will need to register with ANSI to request access. Click here to register. Access will be tied to a user’s regular ANSI login. Users who don’t already have an ANSI login will need to create a new account. Users will receive an immediate email confirmation that the registration request has been received and a subsequent confirmation once access has been granted.

Participation in the IDSP is open to all affected parties. Representatives of the business community and relevant trade associations, vendors of identity theft protection services, information security specialists, industry analysts, government issuers and regulators, standards developing organizations, consumers and public interest groups, and academia are all welcome, providing a range of perspectives.

To join the IDSP mailing list, send an e-mail to idsp@ansi.org

Jim McCabe
Sr. Director, Consumer Relations and IDSP
American National Standards Institute
25 West 43rd Street, Fourth Floor
New York, NY 10036
Tel: 1.212.642.8921
Fax: 1.212.840.2298
E-mail: jmccabe@ansi.org