Identity Map – Blended Identity
Blended: “Combined into an integrated whole to produce a harmonious effect.“
I use Blended Identity as a term referring to documents or devices containing a combination of Physical and Digital Identities. A couple of examples include:
- Smart Card. My Sun ID badge includes my printed name and a photo (both Physical Identity attributes) plus a magnetic stripe and smart card device (both containing Digital Identity information).
- Credit Card. I included this in the list of Physical Identity Tokens because it contains printed information about a person, but it is really a Blended Identity Token because of the magnetic stripe containing Digital Identity Information.
Magnetic stripes, smart card chips and barcodes are widely used technologies for embedding Digital Identity information in Physical Identity tokens. RFID technology is becoming increasingly popular as a means of embedding Digital Identity information in physical devices.
A proposal to attach RFID devices to passports has generated considerable controversy.
Tags: Identity
Digital Identity
Identity Management
Identity Map
Smart Card
RFID