A controlled way back to normality - Secure validation of COVID vaccination certificates
The COVID-19 viral pandemic has caused, an unprecedented restriction on freedom of movement and commercial exchange, blocking a very large part of society and the economy.
The transport and travel industries are among the most affected. With a drop of more than 60% in the number of passengers compared to 2019, airlines around the world have borne the brunt of the coronavirus epidemic, whether in terms of jobs or operation.
As the pandemic continues and the number of travellers remains low, carriers and airports are still struggling with reduced traffic.
To stop the pandemic and return to normal life, researchers and laboratories around the world are working and succeeding in developing effective vaccines against COVID-19. In addition to shielding measures, vaccination will help control the spread of the virus and reduce mortality and morbidity related to viral infection. Now when vaccination prevents or slow down the spread of the virus, a certificate of vaccination will become an essential element in the reopening of borders and the resumption of travel and transport.
With this in mind, IN Groupe offers the “IN COVID Vaccination or Test Certificate” solution. Today, IN Groupe is a key player in identity and trust solutions at a global level. Thanks to our presence at the various stages of the identity value chain, IN Groupe is able to quickly offer the travel and transport industries a solution that enables secure access to a proof of vaccination.
The solution covers the entire process: from data collection with a high level of confidence and security, to the issuance of proof of vaccination or test result and validation tools.
Proof of secure vaccination and test results
IN Groupe is already today a trusted supplier to the healthcare sector, delivering identity and service solutions for health care professionals. For instance, IN Groupe is the partner of the Agence du Numérique en Santé (ANS) for the provision of the health identity of the various medical stakeholders in France, by the CPS card or its dematerialized version on mobile, the e-CPS.
It is really smooth, a person that has been tested or vaccinated in a dedicated centre or directly at their practitioner's office directly receives a certificate that proves the procedure has been carried out or the result as soon as it is available. The certificate can be accompanied by a proof of authenticity in the form of a secure QR code that is activated by the health professional using his professional application. The QR code makes it possible to guarantee the authenticity, uniqueness and non-repudiation of the certificate at the time of validation.
The practitioner can upload vaccination or test data via the portal or its professional health application directly. It is stored in a database in a completely protected and anonymous manner, the only link existing with the person is the proof of authentication provided with the certificate.
Generation of a secure vaccination certificate
To travel, a person wishing to obtain a vaccination certificate or secure test can log on to a portal to make a request. The person is authenticated in a secure way thanks to a two factor authentication associating the QR code of his certificate. This QR code can also be used to link to the person's vaccination data previously recorded in the database.
Following a request for certificate, the vaccination data is formatted, processed and signed, in order to guarantee the authenticity, integrity and non-repudiation. This information is then transmitted to a secure personalisation server at IN Groupe's secure certificate production centre. This is to resolve:
- The issue of a secure physical certificate, which will be sent by post to the applicants’ registered address.
- The issue of a dematerialised (digital) certificate that can be downloaded into a mobile application (Digital Travel Credential or a third party application).
Verification of the vaccination certificate
The certificate control solution can be bought separate to enable reading, verification and integration into their own control system or application. IN Groupe can also offer the various control equipment (Hardware and Software) allowing the control of the vaccination certificate.
With the IN Groupe “IN COVID Vaccination and Test Certificate” solution, the travel and transport industries will be able to quickly and easily set up a solution that will adapt to their infrastructure constraints and existing systems.
This solution, based on the highest level of security requirements, will allow them to control and keep a proof of test or vaccination for each of their travellers, allowing them to comply with the requirements of the countries they will visit.
