Estonia - the land of the KSI Blockchain
Estonia is a country described as the most advanced digital society and even envied by former US President Barack Obama:
Forbes magazine described Esotnia, the North European country once part of the erstwhile Soviet Union, `The most advanced digital society in the world’ and former US President Barack Obama remarked: ` I should have called the Estonians when we were setting up our health care website.’ These are no exaggerations for Estonia, which includes some 1500 islands, several churches and castles but a population that is hardly religious, has a government that is totally `virtual, blockchained and secure’. As much as 99% of services in the country are online and 100% of government data is stored on a blockchain ledger system. Healthcare, property, business, court systems, even official state announcements are digital. The country is years ahead of its time pioneering an e-residency program, believing that countries in future will compete for e-residents like companies for customers.
Today, Estonians can cast their votes using laptops and counter a traffic ticket from their homes using what is described as a `ónce only policy’. Similarly, doctors can access medical data about their patients online and the patients do not have to explain their ailments. The system is based on a chip-ID card that every citizen has, which cuts down repetitive, long-winding and time-consuming processes and also provides digital access to all of the country’s e-ser vices. Virtually all bureaucratic processes can be done online. The country is saving over 1400 years of working time and 2% of GDP annually through its digitized public services.
E-ESTONIA IS THE BASIS
What is behind the accomplishment is a movement by the government called `e-Estonia’, aimed at facilitating citizen interactions with the state through the use of electronic solutions. e-Services created under this initiative include i-Voting, e-Tax Board, e-Business, e-Banking, e-Ticket, e-School, University via internet, the e-Governance Academy, as well as the release of several mobile applications. Estonia also declared that internet access is a human right, thus ensuring its spread into rural areas.
The country used blockchain technology in a highly successful way for this innovative digitization. Quite significant is the technology’s use in applications for public interest. The country has proved that using blockchain in public interest ensured transparency, trust and privacy - the core elements desired by a citizen in the government.
The Estonian government had started its modernization drive right from the 1990s when the country gained independence from the Soviet Union. In the last 10 years, it is offering a wide array of services entirely through electronic means. One of the highly successful projects among the many is the `Estonian e-Residency’, which is a system of electronic residence accessible by any person in the world. The system allows for the creation of a unique digital identity; non-residents in the country can request a smartcard issued by the state, which gives them access to different e-Estonian public services that allows registration of companies online, sign documents digitally, exchange encrypted documents and report online to the business register and conduct online bank transfers.
USE OF KSI BLOCKCHAIN
The underlying t e c hnolog y o f t he digitization exercise is the KSI, or Keyless Signature Infrastructure, Blockchain, an industrial blockchain designed in Estonia by Guardtime and used to guarantee the integrity and security of registries, identities, transactions and data privacy of its users. The technology is different from mainstream blockchains, mainly on account of its scalability. Even large amounts of data can be covered with `digital defence dust’, since the parts of the dust (blocks) are connected to each other using a mathematically verifiable code that connects the blocks into a chain, which cannot be changed without leaving a trace behind.
Specifically, blockchain technology is used to enforce the integrity of government data and systems. Estonian Information Systems Authority (RIA) is an integral service provider for the government, guaranteeing the access to the blockchain network for the state agencies via the X-road infrastructure. Selected state registries backed by the blockchain technology are healthcare registry, property registry, business registry, succession registry, digital court system, surveillance and tracking information system, state gazette, etc.
X-ROAD ENVIRONMENT
However, what really paved the way for Estonia to become a digital country is X-Road, often described as a technological and organizational environment that enabled sec ure internet-based data exchange between information systems. X-Road is based on an interoperable ecosystem. The system for example facilitates a driver not to carry his driving license because a police officer, if he wants, can, via X-Road, make an inquiry from the database of the Road Administration whether that person has a valid license. The driver needs to present his/her personal identification document. X-Road also allows data to be automatically exchanged between countries.
With substantial i nvestments i n cybersecurity infrastructure, Estonia has extensive expertise in this area. While it takes 7 months on average to discover data breaches – with Estonian KSI Blockchain technology the breaches can be detected instantly.