Section outline

  • Introduction

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    ID4Africa Annual General Meeting | World Bank Sessions

    Session 1: Cybersecurity Benchmark for Digital Identity Systems Webinar
    Session 2: Viabilité Financière des Systèmes d'Identité Numérique — World Bank Session at ID4Africa

    Theme: Cybersecurity Benchmark for Digital Identity Systems: Tools and Good Practices for Governments
    Venue: Exhibition Park [exact venue to be confirmed], Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
    Date: 13 May 2026
    Format: Presentation and discussion session, hybrid format

    Background and Rationale

    Digital identity systems have become a fundamental pillar of modern digital ecosystems. Across Africa, many governments are investing in digital identity platforms to facilitate access to public and private services, improve governance, strengthen financial inclusion, and support regional integration.

    Initiatives such as the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) programme and several national digital identity programmes highlight the growing importance of robust and interoperable identification systems to support digital transformation.

    As these systems evolve into critical infrastructure, they increasingly become prime targets for cyberattacks. Recent global incidents have exposed the risks linked to insufficiently secured architectures, weak cybersecurity governance, inadequate authentication mechanisms, and limited incident detection and response capacity.

    Digital identity ecosystems are inherently complex and multi-stakeholder, involving:

    • National identification authorities
    • Civil registration systems (CRVS)
    • Identity authentication and verification platforms
    • Public and private service providers
    • Data exchange infrastructures
    • Technology partners

    Securing these systems requires a holistic cybersecurity approach that spans governance, technical architecture, identity protection, operational resilience, and ecosystem security.

    To support governments, the World Bank has developed a Cybersecurity Benchmark for Identity Systems, enabling countries to assess their maturity against international best practices and identify priority areas for improvement.

    These sessions at ID4Africa aim to present this benchmark framework, discuss financial sustainability considerations for digital identity systems, and foster experience sharing among stakeholders responsible for implementation, governance, security, and long-term viability.

    Objectives

    The workshop aims to strengthen the understanding and capacity of public and technical stakeholders in cybersecurity and sustainability for digital identity systems through a benchmark-based and experience-sharing approach. Specifically, the sessions will:

    • Present the cybersecurity benchmark framework for digital identity systems developed by the World Bank
    • Highlight key vulnerabilities and cyber risks affecting identity systems
    • Share best practices and lessons learned from various countries
    • Introduce a self-assessment tool to evaluate cyber maturity
    • Discuss financial viability and sustainability considerations for identity systems
    • Encourage knowledge exchange and collaboration among African digital identity stakeholders

    Participants

    Stakeholders involved in the design, governance, operation, security, and sustainability of digital identity systems attending ID4Africa, including:

    • National identification authorities
    • Civil registration agencies
    • Ministries of Digital Affairs / ICT
    • National cybersecurity agencies and CERT/CSIRTs
    • Data protection authorities
    • Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) teams
    • Technical and development partners
    • Private sector actors in digital identity ecosystems

    Methodology and Session Format

    An interactive, practice-oriented format combining expert inputs and peer exchange:

    • Introductory presentation on cybersecurity challenges in identity systems
    • Presentation of the World Bank cybersecurity benchmark framework
    • Country experience examples
    • Demonstration of the self-assessment tool
    • Discussion on financial viability of digital identity systems
    • Interactive participant discussion on priorities and challenges

    Key Thematic Areas

    The benchmark framework is structured around key pillars:

    • Cybersecurity Governance — Legal frameworks, policies, institutional roles
    • Secure Architecture — Segmentation, Zero Trust principles, database protection
    • Identity Protection & Authentication — MFA, credential management, secure recovery
    • Operational Resilience — Incident response, SOC/CERT integration, continuity and backup
    • Ecosystem Security — Third-party integration, interoperability, vendor risk management
    • Financial Viability — Sustainable funding models, cost recovery, long-term operational planning

    Expected Outcomes

    By the end of the sessions, participants will:

    • Better understand cyber risks specific to digital identity systems
    • Be familiar with the World Bank cybersecurity benchmark framework
    • Identify priority actions to strengthen system security and sustainability
    • Benefit from cross-country experience sharing
    • Strengthen collaboration among stakeholders securing digital identity infrastructure

    Contact Persons — World Bank

    • Paul NGUYEN – TTL WURI-ECOWAS Project, Digital Specialist Africa West & Central, World Bank — pnguyen19@worldbank.org / +1 202 500 2135
    • Alexandre AMARD – Digital Specialist, World Bank — aamard@worldbank.org
    • Ghislain DE SALINS – Senior Digital Specialist, World Bank — gdesalins@worldbank.org
    • Soda DIOP – Cybersecurity Consultant, World Bank — sdiop4@worldbank.org

     

  • Pre-questionnairre

    Please complete the pre-questionnaire before the session.

     

  • Cybersecurity Benchmark for Digital Identity Systems: Tools and Good Practices for Governments

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  • {mlang en}Reference Slides for Participants{mlang}

  • Recordings, chats, videos, audio etc

  • Knowledge Assessment and Workshop Feedback Survey

  • Certificate of Attendance