DEEP is Pakistan’s (probably) largest Information Security Project with World Bank backed funding of about USD 78 million, and aims to digitize the core of Government services by providing a National Data Exchange Layer (NDEL) and Digital Identity.

Project Goals and Components

• Enhance Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Build capabilities for responsible data exchange, digital authentication, and verifiable credentials to support a digital economy and society.
• Improve Government Service Delivery: Digitize public services through a national portal and platform-based approach, making them more accessible and efficient, especially for vulnerable groups.
• Strengthen Digital Connectivity: Focus on improving the country’s digital infrastructure to lay a strong foundation for digital economic growth.
• Promote Policy and Governance Reforms: Address issues like the digital divide, promote policy reforms, and improve digital governance to build trust in digital services.
• Increase Resilience: Bolster the government’s ability to deliver emergency assistance, such as cash, more rapidly during crises like pandemics or climate-induced disasters.

Digital Identity

The fortress of digital ID can only be built upon the ironclad foundation of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).