Critical to the success of the NSTIC Strategy and the IDESG is the breadth and depth of trust and confidence, innovation and economic progress it releases created through the standards and certification it accredits. As Obama said in his release of the NSTIC Strategy “…we cannot know what companies have not been launched, what products or services have not been developed…what we do know is this: by making online transactions more trustworthy and enhancing consumers’ privacy…we will foster growth and innovation, online and across our economy in ways we can scarcely imagine…ultimately, that is the goal of this strategy.”
Precisely because we cannot predict how innovations will emerge and from whom we cannot rightfully leave anyone out by making barriers for participation or designing solutions without questioning our assumptions. We don’t know if innovations will come from the self-employed, the small business, the large business or even the unemployed. Evaluation of issues of economic inclusion must be central to the development of the Identity Ecosystem Framework, the identification and authentication standards risk models (NSTIC Objective 1.2) and the administration of the standards development and accreditation (NSTIC Objective 1.4) and ultimately the promise of our democracy to govern and fulfill its promise of equal opportunity.