Dubai Electronic Security Center’s Public Key Infrastructure

The Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) enables users and computers to securely exchange data over networks. Encrypted communication is the base for any smart service and therefore a pedestal of a smart city.

Blockchain

• Authorized Provisioning: When anonymity is not a valid option, the blockchain relies on a trusted authority (CA) to identify certificates and authenticate users into the blockchain network.
• Confidentiality: Blockchain relies on traditional PKI technologies to encrypt data over its network.
• Privacy: Cryptography technologies anonymize user’s identity during a transaction. However, they preserve a link to the ID, if eventually required by authorized entities.

Internet of Things

• Device Authentication: Issuing client certificates for devices to authenticate the source of a request while in IoT platforms.
• Data Integrity: The device can sign data using signing certificates to avoid unauthorized data manipulation.
• Confidentiality: The device can encrypt data using encryption certificates through communication protocols.

Digital Signing & Encryption

PKI certificates are used within enterprises for document signing, document encryption or email protection. That enables the move towards paperless transactions in the future — a major contributor of operation efficiency and cost reduction.

Digital Identity

The corner stone of digital ID solution is, identity certificates that provide the following: User Authentication Data Signing, Data Encryption.

Web-Based Services

All web servers owned by Government or trusted services providers rely on SSL/TLS server certificate, that allows end-user to verify the authenticity of the website while browsing.

UAE Pass & eSEAL

From July 2018 until January 2020, Dubai Electronic Security Center’s PKI initiative has established;

40,600 – Individual users
108,245 – Certificates issued
92,015 – Active certificates
16,230 – Revoked certificates

The UAE Pass and the eSEAL are also powered by DESC’s Public Key Infrastructure, which is part of The Dubai Digital Wealth initiative to support Dubai’s smart transformation.

The UAE Pass is the national digital identity and digital signature solution of the United Arab Emirates. The pass is used by citizens and residents to access all federal and local government services under a unified online application. This pass allows a digital signature to legally complete a transaction on the entity’s behalf.

The eSEAL is the government entities individualized stamp, which acts as a digital signature identifying them.

It is a recognizable imprint with a digital timestamp, allowing users to ensure that the entity they are dealing with is in fact authentic. These initiatives help safeguard Dubai as it becomes a smart city, focusing on the mission of making Dubai’s cyberspace secure as it grows.