Strong electronic identification

Strong electronic identification means electronically verifying your identity. Strong electronic identification enables consumers to securely verify their identity in various electronic services and electronic service providers to identify their customers.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications is responsible for the general steering and development of strong electronic identification. The Ministry of Finance is responsible for the governance of the public administration’s electronic services. The public administration’s Suomi.fi electronic service is the responsibility of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, which is part of the administrative branch of the Ministry of Finance.

In accordance with the Act on Strong Electronic Identification and Electronic Trust Services (617/2009), strong electronic identification service providers form a trust network for electronic identification.

The Cyber Security Centre of the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) supervises the reliability and security of the services. When the services meet the requirements laid down for them, they are entered in the register of strong electronic identification service providers located in Finland and the services they provide, maintained by the Cyber Security Centre.


Finnish strong electronic identification tokens and identification services

 

  1. Bank identifiers are identification tokens issued by different banks.
    1. Obtaining a bank identifier requires an agreement with a Finnish bank.
    2. Experts and some banks recommend only using bank identifiers for banking services.
    3. Pursuant to the eIDAS regulation (910/2014) of the EU, electronic identification systems and electronic signatures fall under three levels of assurance and/or security. A bank identifier is a Substantial Level of Assurance (LoA Substantial) identification token, and a signature made with it is an Advanced Electronic Signature (AdES).
  2. The mobile certificate is a service provided by Finnish mobile phone operators.
    1. Mobile identification works on all mobile phones, but strong identification requires a mobile certificate activated on the SIM card of the mobile phone.
    2. The mobile certificate is the user’s electronic identity on the SIM card of the mobile phone.
    3. In order to activate the mobile certificate, you must have a mobile phone subscription with DNA, Elisa, or Telia as well as a Finnish bank identifier, which are required to verify your identity in connection with the activation.
    4. Pursuant to the eIDAS regulation (910/2014) of the EU, electronic identification systems and electronic signatures fall under three levels of assurance and/or security. A bank identifier is a Substantial Level of Assurance (LoA Substantial) identification token, and a signature made with it is an advanced electronic signature (AdES).
  3. A police-issued ID card is a picture document that reliably identifies a Finnish citizen.
    1. Used since 1999, the ID card is a national certificate card. The citizen certificate on the ID card is located in the chip in accordance with the ISO specification integrated into the police-issued ID card. It enables you to verify your identity when using electronic services.
    2. Applying for an ID card often requires a personal visit to a police licensing office. You can also apply for an ID card electronically, but logging into the police service requires strong identification.
    3. In order to use the citizen certificate in electronic services, the citizen certificate must be activated.
    4. So far, using an activated citizen certificate for strong electronic identification has required a computer linked to an external chip card reader with a card reader software installed. Using the certificate on a mobile device has been made possible by the hightrust.id mobile app (5).
    5. Pursuant to the eIDAS regulation (910/2014) of the EU, electronic identification systems and electronic signatures fall under three different levels of assurance and/or security. In terms of electronic services, the properties of the citizen certificate are unparalleled:
      The citizen certificate is a High Level of Assurance (LoA High) identification token used to implement a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) with an irrefutable legal effect with the EU.
  4. The organization cards issued by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency are certificate cards that enable employees to identify themselves in public administration services also in their private lives.
    1. In addition to a computer, identification with a certificate card requires an external chip card reader and an installed card reader software.
    2. Organization cards can be used on mobile devices once the VARTTI interface is implemented in the hightrust.id mobile app.
  5. The hightrust.id is a service provided by the Finnish company Megical Oy.
    1. By downloading the free hightrust.id mobile app on a mobile phone or a mobile device (or a tablet with an NFC chip) and linking it to an ID card issued by the police after August 31, 2021, a citizen can use the hightrust.id digital wallet for strong electronic identification and Qualified Electronic Signatures.