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Project Artifacts

You are viewing an archival website from the original trustmark pilot in 2013-2016. If you are looking for more recent content about the trustmark framework, please visit the Trustmark Initiative website.

This page provides links to view or download various artifacts that we developed throughout the course of the pilot project.

Trustmark Framework Technical Specification

The Trustmark Framework Technical Specification (TFTS) defines sets of rules to which all TDs, Trustmarks, and TIPs must conform, as well as rules for becoming a TDO or a TP, publishing TDs, and issuing trustmarks. This specification defines a structured meta-model within which nearly any trust or interoperability requirement can be expressed, using a format that can be widely understood by standard software tools and libraries.

Trustmark Overview White Paper

In 2016 we released a white paper that provides an overview of the trustmark framework.

White Paper on Trustmarks and and End-User Privacy

In 2013-2014 we developed a white paper that focuses on end-user privacy issues and the impact of a trustmark framework and a trustmark marketplace on those issues.

TDs and TIPs Used in the Operational Pilot

We developed a set of TDs and TIPs that collectively represented the full set of trust characteristics required to support the operational phase of the GTRI NSTIC pilot within the NIEF community, in which participating agencies were able to rely on trustmarks as the basis for making semi-automated or fully-automated trust decisions about partner agencies. These TDs and TIPs represented rigorously defined trust requirements, expressed in a format that conforms to the TFTS. Since the conclusion of the GTRI NSTIC pilot, we have deprecated these original TDs and TIPs; however, we have developed many additional TDs and TIPs that supersede and improve upon our original work in this area. Below are links to two locations where our latest TDs and TIPs are published.

Trustmark Legal Framework Documents

Issuing and relying upon trustmarks in the Identity Ecosystem requires the existence of a well-defined legal framework, which specifies the terms and conditions to which the Trustmark Provider (issuer) and Trustmark Recipient (issuee) have agreed with respect to a trustmark, as well as the terms and conditions under which a trustmark was issued, including limitations on liability, acceptable use by Trustmark Relying Parties, etc. Through NIEF, we have developed and are currently using this framework operationally as part of the pilot. The following links point to the various components of the framework.

Software Tools

One of the benefits of defining normative technical specifications for trustmarks, TDs, and TIPs is that doing so enables those artifacts to be created, consumed, and understood in a standardized manner by software tools that support the specs. GTRI began developing a set of core trustmark software tools during the pilot, and since then, we have released these tools as open source through the Trustmark Initiative.