Administered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the IDSP is a partnership between the private and public sector with the goal of reducing the threat of identity theft and fraud.

As a tool for fraud prevention, the IDSP workshop recommended that guidelines on identity verification should be developed with a view toward the eventual development of an American National Standard. The primary end users for such guidance would be agencies involved in the issuance of source credentials, including state vital statistics offices, state motor vehicles offices, and the Social Security Administration. However, the guidance could have broader application to other organizations that need a robust identity vetting process.

A project plan was developed and a team formed to take this work forward under the leadership of the North American Security Products Organization (NASPO), an ANSI-accredited standards developer.

The report cites benefits of identity verification guidelines to include reducing waste, fraud, and abuse in government programs; limiting underage access to alcohol, tobacco, or other age-limited products and services; and reducing or eliminating criminals’ ability to evade law enforcement through the use of fraudulent identities. They will also enhance the security and credibility of government and commercial credentials issued downstream, such as public and private-sector employment identification cards, U.S. passports, Medicare/Medicaid cards, and credit/charge cards.