Category: Gemalto

As the healthcare industry digitises, security is a growing concern for consumers and businesses alike. Our healthcare data is perhaps the most personal information we have, and every effort needs to be made to keep it secure.

There is broad consensus that using a password to access sensitive information is not robust enough, not to mention inconvenient, which is where healthcare smart cards come in. These smart cards are essentially ‘healthcare passports in your pocket’. Unlike paper documents – which can easily be forged – healthcare smart cards are tamper-proof physical devices that authenticate patients and healthcare professionals.

In this blog we share four breakthrough innovations which are being adopted to secure confidential patient data and future-proof eHealthcare services. And these are not just hypothetical use cases: we’re proud to say that all these innovations have recently been adopted and implemented by Moore4MedicaL (M4M), a consortium of 66 companies, universities and institutes working together to accelerate innovation in emerging medical devices with open technology platforms…

 

• Quantum-safe cryptography: Across all sectors, there are concerns that quantum computing could introduce new security risks. With quantum computing, encryption that would have previously taken years to break, could now be compromised within minutes. Fortunately, there has been some major innovation happening to combine pre-quantum and post-quantum defence mechanisms in healthcare smart cards. This layer of security will help to protect patient data – even when quantum computing has become more commonplace and is being increasingly weaponised by cybercriminals.

 

• Fido2 authentication: FIDO2 is a global authentication standard developed by FIDO Alliance, an open industry association focused on reducing the over-reliance on passwords. We’re proud to say that, for the first time, healthcare smartcards are now FIDO2 certified – which means that patients can register and login securely to FIDO2-compliant online services. For M4M, this innovation means patients can now gain secure access to its monitoring data service and get early detection of any health issues.

                                                                                                                

• Interoperable updates after issuance: Some personal data will naturally change over time (e.g. emergency contacts). Following the introduction of LDS2, electronic documents can now be updated through secure and interoperable access to patient’s data. This is a great example of  recent travel industry standards being used in an innovative way to improve healthcare services.

 

• Security updates after issuance: It is now possible to address future possible threats by updating the electronic documents in a secure way. The M4M healthcare smart cards are demonstrating OS Agility, which means the ability to update the embedded software after the document issuance and enhance the device security.

The future of healthcare services relies on reliable identities, and continual innovation is needed to improve the way we authenticate both patients and healthcare professionals. While M4M is demonstrating best practice in the healthcare sector, it’s important to remember that these features could also benefit many more governments, public authorities, and private entities in civil identity and public security. Cross-collaboration across sectors will help to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.

The post 4 Major Innovations in Healthcare Smart Cards appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

A career in biometrics means changing the future. Your work can have a direct positive impact on the lives of individuals and communities worldwide – helping them to access essential services easily, move and travel seamlessly, and be part of a safer world.

But what does it take to develop your career in biometrics? Whether you’re just starting out, are looking to secure a new role, or simply want to step up your performance at work, our team have shared their top tips to achieve success…

Be a team player

Some biometrics professionals will have embarked on this career path with a scientific background, while others may bring specialist expertise in identity management or cybersecurity. To develop secure, ethical, sustainable, and user-centric solutions, collaboration is key; so respect the different knowledge and skills that each team member brings to the table. Reliable identity and biometrics solutions are developed by multi-disciplinary teams, not in silos.

Be curious

This is a rapidly evolving field – but the development and adoption of biometric technologies is happening at a different pace around the world. Biometrics professionals should invest time in building their knowledge of the different identity challenges, regulatory environments and ESG considerations in various regions. An in-depth understanding of global challenges will help teams to focus their innovation efforts in the right areas and create solutions that address specific regional needs.

Adopt a problem-solving mindset

Biometrics often involves complex challenges, such as improving accuracy, addressing security vulnerabilities, or enhancing user experience. The most important skill here is to really listen to the challenges that clients (e.g. governments and organisations) are grappling with. High-performing biometrics professionals will adopt a problem-solving mindset – seeking out innovative and practical solutions to meet customer challenges.

Put people first

Biometrics professionals cannot afford to get distracted by all the potential use cases of this technology and innovating for the sake of it. Instead, their focus should always be on building responsible products and services that build trust for both users and service providers. A strong focus on transparency and ethics is not only the right thing to do, but it will help to protect the entire industry’s reputation and enhance future job prospects.

By following these tips, you can pave the way for a successful career in biometrics, making significant contributions to building a more trusted future.

You can check out the latest jobs at Thales here: https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/career

The post Future careers: how to make it in biometrics appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

What is identity? 

Did you know that identity is actually a mathematical term? It belongs to the scientific theory of social mathematics, which was first studied in the late 18th century by French mathematician and philosopher, Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas de Caritat, marquis de Condorcet. Identity refers to the algebraic concept of equality among citizens in terms of their legal rights and obligations. Marquis de Condorcet, who became famous for the Condorcet’s paradox, came up with the term when studying the relationship between the individual and the collective as a way of formalising the foundations of the democratic system. According to him, if a nation and / or multiple individuals “identically” accept the rules of the community, they attain the status of citizens.

However, identity has also come to express the differences between us. Simply speaking, identity is a combination of your physical and behavioural traits that define who you are. For example, your name is part of your identity, as is the form and colour of your eyes and your fingerprint. This set of characteristics allows you to be definitively and uniquely recognisable.

Identity plays an important role in empowering individuals to exercise their rights and responsibilities fairly and equitably in a modern society. It is imperative for social, economic and digital inclusion as it provides access to basic human rights such as healthcare, pensions, social benefits, the ability to exercise our right to vote, and beyond. But to be able to access those rights, one needs to be able to prove that they are who they claim to be.

Usually official documents such as passports and identity cards are used as a proof of your name, and your photo on these documents is the most natural link to who you are.

Official identity as a proxy for inclusion

If a country’s citizens don’t have access to an official identity, they are much more likely to miss out on a variety of essential services, du

 

e to the fact that identity touches so many aspects of our lives. For citizens, identity provides them with access to state programs that support their wellbeing. As an example, Jamaica recently approved the use of biometric authentication systems to verify those citizens accessing social welfare benefits.

Yet an official identity system is also beneficial for governments. With more citizens registered they have a much better chance of accurately understanding their population’s demographics, which in turn plays an essential role in impactful policy making.

It is for these reasons that access to a legal identity has been recognised by the United Nations General Assembly as being a fundamental sustainable development goal – ensuring a legal identity from birth to all by 2030.

Nonetheless, getting a population registered is not an easy task and there are many barriers to reaching everyone – both due to physical geographical landscapes and a lack of infrastructure to support the collection of information. On the government side, the space tends to be a fragmented one, with multiple overlapping and incompatible systems being deployed at the same time. In general, there is a lack of coordination between civil registration and identity, and with other state systems that have their own registration and credential systems. Moreover, a proportion of the population is excluded because of excessive charges, indirect costs, and convoluted processes, or simply because they don’t have physical access to the service.

So how can we ensure the responsible adoption of official identity and the necessary protections around it which ensure that it is a tool for public good?

The role of foundational ID systems

Unique identity or foundational ID systems are general-purpose identity platforms that are designed to support all forms of identity. There are no multiple or redundant registrations, meaning that one registration is created for use with all state systems. Furthermore, foundational ID systems offer improved service delivery and economies of scale, and as identity becomes a readily available commodity, a new ecosystem of different applications naturally emerges. One such ID system is India’s Aadhaar, thanks to which nearly 80 percent of India’s citizens have access to critical government services.

Here’s how an individual’s identity is established:

• The user’s unique biographical (name, date and place of birth, etc.) and biometric data (fingerprint) is captured
• It is then validated to establish the uniqueness of the request for an accurate digital identity
• This unique identity is then verified against existing data in internal or external systems
• The biometric and biographical data is authenticated against physical documents
• And finally, a unique identity is created in the foundational system, and a private unique identity number (UIN) is assigned to the person.

Achieving identity inclusion has become ever more urgent in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as public health and economic challenges are pressuring governments to deploy essential measures such as social safety nets, health, and labour programs that ensure the health & wellbeing of the population and help restart their economies. One important link for enabling these is that all measures require inclusive identification of the population.

My colleague Jaume Dubois, who is an identity system specialist at Thales, will join other experts in the field for the ID4Africa discussion to tackle the issue of identity and inclusion and share examples of policies, approaches and technologies that have proven successful. The discussion will take place on 16 September 2020 at 2:30pm CET on International Identity Day.

We invite you to learn more about the underpinning technology and processes for secure delivery of ID services.

The post What is identity and why is it important? appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

World Password Day has come around again. Since its inception, it’s an awareness day designed to promote and reinforce the importance of better habits when it comes to password settings. As such, we expect to be inundated with research highlighting the percentage of consumers who still have ‘poor’ password habits, lists of the most common ones still in use, and accompanying advice from a multitude of companies reinforcing what ‘good’ looks like.

Now, as passwords are often the first port of call for our online / digital identities – it’s of course important that good habits are encouraged. However, the headlines and research we’ll see on this day won’t have changed, the stories and issues are the same – we’re stuck in Groundhog Day.

With this in mind, we’re taking this opportunity to look into the problem with passwords, and how we might want to change how we think about securing digital identities.

Too Many to Remember

Do you know how many passwords the average consumer has? A recent study from NordPass found that it’s around 100 – an increase of 25% in recent years. That’s unsurprising given the pandemic had us all signing up for new online services – be that for entertainment, personal or work purposes. There are countless other studies out there, and while the average figure may vary slightly, they all point towards the same thing – it’s an unmanageable amount.

At this juncture it’s worth asking yourself if you know how many passwords you have? If you have an iPhone there’s a quick way you can find out using the following steps (the final number might be sobering):

1. Start the Settings app.
2. Tap “Passwords”
3. Tap “Website & App Passwords.” Authenticate with FaceID or TouchID
4. Your iPhone will now display the complete list.

There’s also a way to find this out via Google Chrome:

1. On your computer, open Chrome
2. At the top, click More Settings
3. Select Passwords, Check Passwords

Information Overload

Having an unmanageable number of passwords correlates with the coinciding factor that consumers are faced with information overload. Put simply, there’s a lot of rules and guidance to follow. Official best practice on what makes a good password varies depending on who you ask, general advice includes.

• Using three random, unconnected words. Official advice from the National Centre for Cyber Security (NCSC)
• At least twelve characters, including a mixture of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters I.e. “R3plac!ng l3tt€rs with numb3r$”

Not only should they meet certain specifications, but it’s also recommended that they are updated regularly – as an example some employers and IT departments will force employees to update them at least every six weeks.

There’s a lot of rules to follow, especially as we’re meant to have a different password for every account. Password managers are often touted as the best way to manage this, but whichever way you cut it, it puts almost all the responsibility on the end- user.

The consequences for weak and easy to guess passwords are clear – and you can hardly make it through the month without a high-profile data breach hitting the headlines. However, all things considered we can hardly act surprised that the text-based password continues to plague individuals and organisations alike.

In part two, we’ll be discussing why we need to look at a password-less future of digital identification.

Click here to read part two

The post Why are passwords still a problem in 2023? appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

If you’ve read part one, you’ll know that there’s a persistent problem with passwords. Despite the continued warnings, data breaches and endless guidance – a weak and easily hackable password guards a sobering number of online accounts and identities. Past experience tells us this is unlikely to change.

However, the technology is here, and already in use to help us do away with them for good.

It seems fitting then, that on World Password Day this year Google has announced a move that takes it one step further to ditching passwords for good by rolling out passkey technology. Designed to replace passwords entirely, passkeys allow authentication with fingerprint ID, facial ID or pin on the phone or device you use for authentication. Apple has begun rolling out the tech in iOS16 compatible devices, and Microsoft has been using it through the Authenticator app.

Keen to get rid of the passwords for all your Google accounts? Just visit this link, and follow the instructions.

This is just the start, and more innovations like this will follow.

Digital IDs gives consumers control and convenience

As discussed in our previous blog, it’s highly likely that that average consumer has passwords in the hundreds. These passwords will guard anything from their Netflix account, through to their online banking; while the security risks are very real, so is the temptation to use easy to remember phrases. In today’s digital age we all value privacy and control, but also convenience and efficiency.

Thankfully, the rise of Digital IDs mean that consumers get this level of control over their digital identities; all through one single point of access. At the same time, it provides authorities with the opportunity to create companions for physical identity documents that are: straightforward to issue, manage and verify; delivering a powerful tool to fight ID fraud, reduce red tape and boost efficiency.

Across the globe, digital identification is becoming more mainstream; with new measures constantly coming to fruition to make this the norm. If we look to the EU we have the introduction of the latest legislation on European Digital Identity – eIDAS2. eIDAS2 means that by September 2023, each EU Member State must make a digital ‘wallet’ available to every citizen who wants one. Service providers in both public and private sector organisations (such as banks and telcos) will have to accept it as proof of ID.

This acceleration isn’t just taking place in  the EU – just earlier on this month the UK government proposed legislation to secure digital identify, even creating a  the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes.

Bolstering security with behavioural biometrics

Most of us have become accustomed to using biometrics in some form in recent years; with facial recognition, or fingerprint readers becoming increasingly prevalent on most smartphones today. In many instances, these biometrics can also be used to verify purchases.

The virtues of biometrics as opposed to text-based passwords are well accepted – and recent advances in this technology means that we can look beyond fingerprint and facial recognition to an approach based on each individuals’ unique characteristics.

Behavioural biometrics is an innovative approach to user authentication. It can identify a user (or an imposter) based on a set of unique patterns, like the way someone: moves a mouse, type on a keyboard, or the time spent on an activity. These traits are also reinforced with device-based indicators such as IP addresses and geo-location data.

Risk assessment rules can then be applied to each transaction, ensuring that an appropriate authentication level is always actioned. For example, a low-value purchase made by a consumer near their home can be processed instantly. If a high-value purchase, not in keeping with that user’s normal behaviour, is attempted then the transaction can be blocked, or additional authentication requested. ​

The business case for a password free future

Our recent Data Threat Report found that over a third of businesses across the globe have experienced a data breach in the last 12 months. More often than not, the weakest link in the security chain is the employee. This is often through small but harmful mistakes – such as an easy to guess password. The new normal of hybrid working also opens up a new host of cyber security challenges.

Organisations should consider adopting access management solutions. One such example is password-less verification, which identifies users through methods such as IP address or multi-factor authentication. This will overcome the inherent vulnerabilities of text-based passwords, while improving levels of assurance and convenience.

In conjunction with this, adoption of a Zero Trust model, based on the principle “Never Trust, Always Verify”, requires employees to only access data they’re authorised to do so, while ensuring they verify who they are each time they require access.

Heading towards a password-free future

If we journey back to 2004, at the RSA Conference, Bill Gates predicted the death of the password stating: “There is no doubt that over time, people are going to rely less and less on passwords. People use the same password on different systems, they write them down and they just don’t meet the challenge for anything you really want to secure.”

18 years on and we’re still at the stage where passwords are the dominant means of securing digital identities. With cyber-attacks and data breaches increasing in frequency; and cybercriminals becoming increasingly sophisticated; it’s vital that we head towards a password-less future.

The good news is this isn’t a futuristic pipe dream, but the technology is already there to make this happen; there are already some good examples in use. That said, in the meantime, don’t use 123456, qwerty, password or 654321 to guard your online accounts!

The post World Password Day 2023: Why we need a password-less future appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

Did you know that tattoos were some of the first forms of identity verification? They were ways to display attributes such as social status, familial ties and associations with certain groups.

Similarly, did you know that we can record the use of fingerprints back to the ancient Babylonians who used them to seal business transactions on clay tablets?

Identity verification has been around for thousands of years, constantly evolving with societal change and technological advancements.

The latest evolution is that of digital identities, which are fast changing how we verify who we are, bringing with it advantages for individuals, businesses, governments and organisations.

In this article for Business Reporter, Justin Walker, VP Digital Transformation at Thales, looks back at our understanding of identity and how it has developed drastically over hundreds, and even thousands of years.

Read the full article here: The history of digital identity.

For further reading, please check out the below:

• Digital ID – Day in the life of a digital citizen after eIDAS2
• What citizens want from a Digital ID Wallet
• All your ID credentials at hand: welcome to the Digital ID Wallet
• Identity verification: how does it work, and is my data secure?
• ICYMI: 2022 – A Year in Digital Identity

The post How has identity evolved over the years? appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

Podcasts have undergone a full-blown renaissance in recent years. Whether it’s high-profile celebrities and musicians, online influencers, or catching up on the news agenda from the journalists themselves, more than 400 million people globally now listen to content in this format.

They are a great way to stay informed, learn something new, or be entertained – often on the go. Given this is a technology blog, we wanted to share some of the best tech-related podcasts out there right now.

1. In Machines We Trust – Launched in August 2020, this is one of the world’s most popular podcasts focused on artificial intelligence, and the impact it is having on our lives. Published by MIT Technology Review, it has explored everything from digital twins, breakthroughs in AI and computing history, to how AI is helping test and train pilots.
2. The Digital Human – This BBC Radio 4 podcast is a weekly series looking at some of the big questions surrounding technology and its impact on both our society and psychology. Hosted by broadcaster Aleks Krotoksi, recent topics have included what the rise of algorithmic curation means for the arts, how far we can trust digital technology implanted in our bodies, and what it means to be solitary in our digital world.
3. CYBER – Published by VICE Magazine, this series is all about the world of cybersecurity. Covering everything from disinformation to encryption, cyber threats to facial recognition, new episodes are published every few days, and looks at the biggest cybersecurity news right now.
4. Hard Fork – This New York Times podcast is hosted by long-time technology journalists Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, giving a weekly look at the biggest stories in technology right now. Each episode is around an hour long, offering a deep dive into NY Times’ tech and business reporting from the journalists involved.
5. Babbage – Published by The Economist and richly reported, this series is a weekly documentary-style report on a different topic in the area of science and technology each week. Each 45-minute episode is published every Wednesday, with host Alok Jha talking to correspondents from right across The Economist about the new discoveries, developments and innovations that are shaping our world.
6. The Tech Talks Daily – Hosted by tech columnist Neil Hughes, this is a daily interview series with startup founders, sports teams, business leaders, and the occasional celebrity, looking at their career history, tips and advice for others, as well as sharing more about the company they work for now and what they stand for.
7. Pivot – Hosted by tech journalist Kara Swisher and New York University Professor Scott Gallaway, new episodes of this series are released every Tuesday and Friday covering the biggest stories in tech, business and politics. Recent stories have included ongoing developments with Twitter, tech layoffs, and movements around AI.
8. Masters of Scale – Taking a slightly more business and leadership-oriented perspective, this podcast is an interview series featuring business leaders across technology, consumer brands, charities and other innovative startups and venture capital funds. Each guest speaks with LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, discussing their career journey and what’s made them successful, as well as learnings along the way.
9. TED Tech – Featuring some of the world’s best thinkers and speakers looking at the interaction between technology, society, science, business and innovation, this weekly podcast is a collection of audio from TED Talks around the world to provide inspiration and ideas.
10. CyberWire Daily – This daily podcast is aimed at cybersecurity industry leaders and covers the day’s biggest threat intelligence, policy, research and more. Every episode also features a guest from within the industry, from cybersecurity companies to Government agencies.
11. Thales Security Sessions – At Thales we have our own successful podcast – Security Sessions. This podcast series explores the technologies, people, and processes behind information security. We’ll delve into topics like data security, remote access and digital transformation, as well as the people and technology that make it all work behind the scenes. We speak to Thales and industry experts to bring you fresh perspectives on how to navigate the world of cloud security.

Do you have a favourite not included on this list? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Here are 11 of the best technology podcasts you should listen to appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

Highlights taken from Modernising Digital-ID Systems: What Open Standards and Open-Source Software Really Mean, for the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.  

As organisations and Governments look to build inclusive Digital ID ecosystems, how do they overcome the key challenge of choosing which technology solution(s) to adopt?  

We recently collaborated on an article with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, which looks at this exact question and how Open Standards and Open-Source Software technologies have emerged as the approaches that will give governments the flexibility and freedom they need.  

ICYMI, the topics and themes discussed in the piece are summarised below.   

The need for Open Standards and Open-Source Software  

When a new industry is formed, it is common to see the creation of proprietary and non-interoperable systems; this is no different in the identity market. However, today, the market is maturing and moving towards interoperable and vendor lock-in free solutions – spelling good news for the future of digital identity in government services. Open standards and open-source software are the two main approaches that have emerged to offer governments the flexibility and freedom they need. 

Why Open Standards Matter 

Open standards are the vehicle to enable interoperability. When multiple products can work together seamlessly, the result is a level playing field market, which leads to more innovation, lower costs, and better products and services for consumers. 

The developments in Open Standards 

The open standards that are accelerating developments in the digital-ID space include: OpenID for Verifiable Credential Issuance, OpenID for Verifiable Presentations, W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model, Decentralized Identifiers, FIDO2 and OSIA. 

Why Open-Source Solutions Matter 

As put by the team behind the Canadian Digital Service, “Open-Source saves time and money, by making software easier to reuse and adapt.”  

The developments in Open Source Solutions 

Open-source approaches to digital ID include: OpenCRVS, Modular Open Source Identification Platform, X-Road, and OpenWallet Foundation.  

What Does this Mean for Governments Looking to Build Digital-ID Ecosystems? 

Both Open Standards and Open Source Software approaches have the capability and potential to add value to governments to build and upgrade their digital ID ecosystems.  

However, caution is needed on two fronts: 

• Open Source Software solutions need to be interoperable and therefore based on Open Standards, such as OSIA. This is key for governments to ensure true open Digital-ID ecosystems.  
• Although initially dependent on system integrators, governments should consider putting in place local training to mitigate the capacity risks of Open Source Software solutions.  

By considering these two recommendations, governments are more likely to futureproof their digital-ID systems in the most efficient manner. 

To read the full piece, co-authored by Debora Comparin, Standardisation Expert, Thales and Chair of OSIA Initiative, SIA and Yiannis Theodorou, Head of Digital ID at the Tony Blair Institute for Digital Change – please click here.  

 

For further reading, please check out the following:  

• ICYMI: 2022 – A Year in Digital Identity 
• Biometrics in Identity 
• How will digital ID evolve and bring greater user-centricity in the e-wallet era? 

The post Open Standards & Open-Source Software: What do these solutions mean, and why are they relevant for Digital ID systems? appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

This is equivalent to 20,000 tons of polymers – the weight of almost 2 Eiffel towers or 40 Airbus A380s at take-off.

Inevitably most of these SIM cards will end up as waste. However, there is another way. In this blog we’ll be looking at the efforts being made to make SIM cards greener.

Commitment to going green

At Thales we have an unrivalled, ecological SIM portfolio that is aimed at mobile operators looking for sustainable strategies to reduce the environmental impact of their SIM activity, while improving brand awareness in front of their end customers.

We have a long history in this area, so to recap some of our key milestones:

2009 – We measured our first global footprint in 2009, and as a result started engaging in different action plans to address our most important emissions sources.

2014 – In order to cut down on wastage we introduced the Half SIM Trio as early as 2014, but our best development was yet to come…

2020 – In 2020 we partnered with Veolia, the global leader in optimized resource management, to co-develop the world’s first EcoSIM. This venture resulted in the first eco-designed SIM card made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic…. From discarded fridges to be exact.

Turning old fridges into new SIM cards  

After three years of joint development, Thales and Veolia mastered the process of turning polystyrene waste from these discarded fridges into pellets that are then used to manufacture the SIM card body.

This eco-designed product is part of an innovative offer (which includes the eco-friendly Eco Touch SIM packaging) for telecom operators looking for real sustainable strategies to reduce the impact of their SIM card activity.

So just how exactly does a fridge get turned into a SIM card? Watch here to find out:

Completing the offer with ecofriendly packaging

With more than 300 million packs delivered each year and more than 30 years of experience in the telecommunications sector as the world’s number one provider of SIM packaging, we’ve designed an ecofriendly packaging offer with:

• Vegetal & water-based inks for safer products
• Small and smart layouts to reduce paper consumption
• Recycled papers to decrease waste and PEFC or FSC Certified papers to protect forests

EcoSIM, the world’s first certified carbon neutral SIM card

On top of the recycled card body itself, Thales commits to offsetting the carbon footprint of the other components of the SIM (such as the chip) in order to achieve a controlled environmental impact.

Our eco-designed SIM card is a CarbonNeutral® certified product in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol – the global standard for carbon-neutral programs. The carbon footprint of each SIM has been calculated and offset through a program that supports impactful emission reduction projects – such as energy savings and renewable energy development in developing countries.

For this launch received a “Best Practice on Circular Economy” award from telecom operator sustainability association JAC, in recognition of our consistent approach regarding environmental impact reduction in products. This award was given in recognition of everything through from the recycled card body, half card, energy efficiency of sites, renewable electricity sourcing, carbon offset offer, and life cycle assessment tool for the eco-design of the SIM products.

Increasingly, it’s important for companies to take a “Life Cycle” approach to product design.

What is “Life Cycle” thinking?

Life cycle thinking is a holistic approach to tackling the environmental impact of products beyond manufacturing. This style of thinking considers the processes involved in the use of a product from the point of its creation to the end of its useful life.

Here at Thales, we use this approach for the development of our eco-designed products where raw materials extraction, material processing, transportation, distribution, consumption, reuse/recycling, and disposal are examined to reduce at its minimum the carbon footprint impact. Thanks to our factories scattered around the world, we’re able to produce SIM cards as close as possible to our customers by producing the minimum carbon emission.

Want to hear more about our eco initiatives?

• Thales EcoSIM solutions
• Turning ocean plastic waste into eco-friendly bank cards
• Increase your SIM card visibility, embrace the green trend

The post Turning fridges into SIM cards: An ecological SIM portfolio appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

Amsterdam, the capital city of Netherlands, is renowned for its artistic heritage and vibrant culture. An amazing blend of old-world charm and contemporary culture, the city offers a plethora of activities for tourists. From history, to art, or dabbling in unique experiences, Amsterdam has something for everyone.

Every summer, the city plays host to Money 20/20, the largest global fintech event enabling payments and financial services for connected commerce. We’ll be there this year to talk about our key solutions that are designed to help financial institutions, fintechs, neo-banks, retailers, and cryptocurrency exchange platforms in their digital transformation.

If you’re heading to Amsterdam this year for the event, then don’t miss out on the opportunity to explore what the city has offer outside the RAI Amsterdam.

We’ve complied our top five must-see attractions:

1. Van Gogh Museum

Art lovers should make their way to the Van Gogh Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of works by the iconic Dutch painter, Vincent Van Gogh. The museum presents an impressive range of his paintings, drawings, and letters, allowing visitors to walk into the artists life and his profound influence on the art world. From the vibrant Sunflowers to the introspective self-portrait, each masterpiece showcases a glimpse into Van Gogh’s unique artistic vision. 

2. Anne Frank Museum

A museum dedicated to Jewish wartime diarist Anne Frank. The building is located on the Prinsengracht canal, close to the Westerkerk, in central Amsterdam. As a visitor, you experience this story through an audio tour, quotes, photos, videos, and original items. The Anne Frank House can only be visited with an online ticket for a specific date and time.

3. Vondelpark

Take the opportunity to escape the city and find a calming presence in the peaceful oasis of Vondelpark. This sprawling urban park is a favourite among locals and tourists, offering a serene settling for relaxation and recreation. Take a leisurely walk or rent a bicycle to explore the park’s lush greenery, beautiful ponds, and charming bridges. During the summer months, the open-air theatre hosts various cultural performances, making it a lively hub of entertainment.

4. Albert Cyup Market

Immerse yourself in the lively atmosphere if the Albert Cuyp Market, Amsterdam’s largest street market. Located in the vibrant De Pjip neighbourhood, this bustling market has been a local favourite for over a century. Wander through the colourful stalls offering a diverse array of products, including fresh produce, flowers, clothing, and delicious street food. Indulge in traditional Dutch treats or sample international flavours from the multicultural food stands. The Albert Cuyp Market is a vibrant melting pot of cultures and a fantastic place to soak up the energetic spirit of Amsterdam.

5. Canal Tour

No visit to Amsterdam is complete without a leisurely cruise along its enchanting canals. Embark on a canal tour and witness the city’s stunning architecture, picturesque bridges, and charming houseboats from a unique perspective. Drift along the historic waterways, passing by iconic landmarks such as the Westerkerk and the Skinny Bridge, while learning about Amsterdam’s fascinating history. Whether you chose a guided tour or opt for a self-guided boat rental, the canal tour offers an unforgettable experience and showcases the best of the capital.

Visiting Money 20/20 this year – pay us a visit in Hall 1, Stand D90 – or click here to book a meeting with us.

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