Verizon Business underpins vax passport integration

Verizon Business has announced it played a role in securing Australia’s international COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate through an agreement with the Australian Passport Office.

Under the deal, Verizon Business helped the Australian Passport Office roll out the secure digital platform that underpinned the integration of a digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate with the ePassport platform.

The international certificate uses a QR code generated using the COVID-19 vaccination information in the Australian Immunisation Register and the traveller’s passport details.

Each individual QR code is digitally signed to help combat tampering and can be validated by most immigration authorities at airline check-ins. Digital sign-in is completed using private digital keys that are stored on hardware security modules to prevent unauthorised access.

Verizon Business Group VP for Asia-Pacific Robert Le Busque said the company is pleased with its work on the contract.

“Speed and accuracy were critical for this important national initiative to get established and operational. We are extremely proud to work with the Australian Passport Office to deliver a service that is instrumental in opening up Australia to the world once again,” he said.

Certificates are seen as the gold standard for authenticating communications and ensuring a user-friendly experience, Busque said. Verizon Business estimates that 61% of confirmed data breaches involve stolen credentials.

Verizon Business Australia is a certified supplier on the federal government’s Telecommunications Marketplace, and has provided managed network and security services to enterprise and government agencies in Australia for over 20 years. Verizon Business’s Asia-Pacific Advanced Security Operations Centre is based in Canberra.

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