Enhancing operational efficiency with verifiable credentials

As digital innovation continues to disrupt the traditional oil and gas sector, it has become increasingly important for companies to adopt new technological solutions that improve operational efficiency while maintaining strong security measures. Digital identity emerged as a critical area as companies need help managing the access identities of employees, contractors, and partners across a complex network of systems.

By leveraging the emerging technology of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and Verifiable Credentials (VC) or adopting a hybrid approach, companies can improve security, streamline operations and empower their remote workers across the value chain. Further on, we will examine a Proof of Value (PoV) project in the nuclear sector, highlighting the benefits of VC for remotely managing employee identities, and tracking training credentials and security clearances.

While every organisation has unique cybersecurity and identity requirements, there are common needs across industries where IT infrastructure is large, complex and distributed. How can organisations leverage emerging technologies to enhance operational efficiency?

With complex supply chains and multiple stakeholders involved in the production and distribution of oil and gas resources, robust identity verification and authorisation mechanisms are essential to ensure only authorised personnel have access to critical systems and data. The common challenges we see across the sector centre around the following three themes:

1. Identity and Access Management (IAM) –Managing access identities of employees, contractors and partners; Ensuring robust identity verification and authorisation mechanisms

2. Operational Efficiency – Streamlining operations to reduce costs and improve productivity; Empowering remote workers to access critical systems and data

3. Cybersecurity – Protecting critical systems and data from cyber threats

IAM plays a vital role within an organisation’s overarching digital transformation programme. As companies increasingly rely on digital technologies to drive growth and operational efficiency, they need strong IAM systems to protect their digital front door and safeguard network and data security and integrity. Once mere concepts, new technologies, like Verifiable Credentials, have been rolled out across healthcare, nuclear, and education sectors in response to the growing demands of the pandemic to move highly skilled workers between distributed sites swiftly and securely.

Verifiable Credentials use distributed ledger technology and are a digital representation of attributes such as certifications, special training or qualification. A specific party, such as an employer, training centre, or regulatory body, issue them. They allow individuals to securely hold these credentials in a digital wallet to share personal attributes with an organisation for verification or authorisation. The credentials are tamper-proof and can be cryptographically secured, making them a safer alternative to traditional identification methods. These credentials could help companies to reduce the risk of fraud, streamline their supply chains, and improve operational efficiencies, unlocking the full potential of digital transformation.

Distributed identity and Verifiable Credentials provide a secure, transparent way of managing and sharing personal information that puts the individual at the heart of the solution and allows individuals to have greater control over their data, which they can share with specific entities without compromising their privacy.

As centralised systems are often the targets of cyber-attacks, distributed identity reduces the reliance on centralised systems by moving critical data to decentralised networks. Furthermore, distributed identity systems can facilitate cross-border identity verification and authentication, eliminating the need for cumbersome and expensive identity verification processes.

Working with Sellafield Ltd and Digital Catapult, Condatis explored decentralised identity using a Verifiable Credential Staff Passport platform. We embarked on a journey with Sellafield, running a Proof of Value (PoV) that focused on the following requirements:

• Optimising staff onboarding and movement

Providing secure and verifiable credentials

Enabling end-user control over personal data

• Integrating across multiple Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) sites

Resulting in cost savings and operational improvements

Sellafield employs around 15,000 people; 600 of its job functions require workers to be suitably qualified and experienced (SQEP). It is one of the largest nuclear facilities in the world and is responsible for processing most of the UK’s nuclear waste. As a result, security is paramount to ensure the safety of the surrounding communities and environment. Traditionally, security at nuclear facilities relied on physical identification methods such as ID cards and PINs which can be vulnerable to fraud and duplication, and less reliable in highrisk environments. Additionally, over 2,000 tasks require monitoring to ensure employees are suitably qualified. Managing and verifying the credentials of diverse personnel across the nuclear estate and related supply chain was challenging for Sellafield. The entire process involved multiple independent partners and issuing authorities. Employee security profiles had continual updates to training and security clearances – every interaction regarding an employee’s credentials occurred in a complex, highly regulated environment.

How Sellafield utilised Verifiable Credentials

Using distributed identity technology, Sellafield implemented Verifiable Credentials, allowing for secure data sharing between employees, contractors, and visitors to the facility. By using Verifiable Credentials, Sellafield was able to streamline its security processes ?and reduce the risk of fraud and duplication. This innovative use of technology is an excellent example of how digital credentials can revolutionise security in high-risk environments.

Digital Catapult’s Sellafield DLT Field Lab Report includes a comprehensive overview of The Condatis Nuclear Staff Passport solution developed for Sellafield. The report details a technical overview of the project, the key benefits, and the challenges faced during its implementation. In addition, the report also includes some of the project’s initial results and impact on the nuclear industry.

Highlights of the realised value for Sellafield Ltd:

Increased security: Using a biometricsecured mobile digital wallet (such as Microsoft Authenticator) to hold credentials can improve security beyond current paper-based or identity card solutions. There are also options for mobile-free sites. Organisations can build permissioning systems based credentials to prove security clearance level, particularly important for the nuclear sector, accessing documents and visiting secure areas regularly requires verification.

Streamlined processes: A distributed identity solution can reduce the time needed for employee onboarding and offboarding by up to 80%. Automating the digital administration of expiring or expired credentials saves time through early notification to refresh training. Training credentials can be virtually issued every time new courses are completed. A digital wallet means SQEP status can be proven via a single digital interaction, instead of several time-intensive and in-person processes. Verifying QEP status is a laborious manual activity, and administering credentials takes anywhere between three weeks and three months per employee.

• Improved trust & privacy: Cryptographically secure and Verifiable Credentials enable the formation of a trust framework between estate sites and external parties (for example, The Ministry of Defence). Sellafield can use its own governance model to create

Digital Identity

a trust system between multiple parties and stakeholders, simplifying identity verification and access levels. Individual employees can be selective when sharing personal information, so only necessary information is shared, improving privacy and confidentiality.

Upskilling workforce

2 in 5 people across Sellafield will require training and upskilling to use the new platforms resulting in improved understanding of this technology.

From months to minutes

Sellafield reduces time to onboard and offboard staff by approximately 80% . Enabling verification of SQEP status to happen instantly, ensuring the employee is sufficiently qualified.

Transparency & Privacy

15,000 employees across the NOA estate will directly benefit from improved privacy and transparency of their personal data.

Traceability

A history of all issued credentials is maintained. 1 in every 5 steps currently includes a form of manual traceability requirement. Immutable record can store information on a ledger directly removing need for manual forms.

Process Automation

25% of the current information workflows have high potential for automation removing the need for manual work.

Productivity gains

Over 55% of the current process steps during nuclear waste logistics directly benefit from implementing a DLT solution.

Enhanced Security

The solution offered an approximate 90% reduction in potential risk for a data breach with distributed ledger technology.

“Thisprojecthasalsohelpedustransformourwaysofworkinginternally…demystifyingadoptionofemergingtechnologiessuchasdistributedledgeronesforus andourclosestakeholders.Thebenefitsgobeyondtheveryvaluableexperimentationsthemselves,andweseektorepeatthistypeofprojecttoaddressother challengesandtechnologies.”

Richard Thompson – Enterprise Data Manager, Sellafield Ltd

To summarise, digital identity is essential for more comprehensive digital transformation programmes. It plays a crucial role in an organisation’s more comprehensive security strategy, and operational efficiency by saving time and resources through automation, and interoperability by providing unified approaches to managing data across systems and ensuring regulatory compliance. Investing in digital identity solutions can help companies stay competitive and meet evolving demands. Companies can use these technologies to improve operations, reduce costs, and enhance staff and customer experience.