The Kantara Initiative has opened a public comment period on draft updates to its Identity Assurance Framework, marking the first step in aligning the framework’s assessment criteria with NIST Special Publication 800-63, Revision 4. The notice invites submissions until January 20 2026 and covers Volume 63A, which defines identity proofing and enrollment requirements. Drafts covering 63B and 63C are expected to follow.
Kantara describes the document as its “SP 800-63-4A” criteria and says the update aims to modernize its assurance process to remain consistent with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s July 2025 revision. NIST’s update to the 800-63 suite introduced new guidance on identity verification, federation, and authentication assurance, emphasizing inclusivity, privacy, and risk-based approaches to identity proofing.
Under Kantara’s framework, organizations seeking formal trustmarks or certification must demonstrate compliance with detailed criteria mapped to NIST’s levels of assurance for identity, authentication, and federation. The forthcoming 63A alignment will therefore define how third-party assessors evaluate identity proofing under the new revision’s terminology and risk-management principles.
Kantara’s notice positions this release as the first deliverable in a multi-volume refresh of the Identity Assurance Framework. Future volumes will cover authentication (63B) and federation (63C), ensuring end-to-end harmonization with the NIST model. The initiative’s process allows community members, implementers, and accredited assessors to submit feedback before the criteria are finalized.
The update is expected to have practical significance for government and private-sector programs that rely on NIST assurance levels. By maintaining alignment, Kantara provides a bridge for vendors pursuing recognized compliance pathways in markets where NIST-based frameworks underpin trust-service accreditation or digital-identity interoperability. Kantara also plays a certification role in the United Kingdom’s digital-identity trust framework, where it serves as one of the accredited assessment bodies.
The organization’s leadership continuity further underscores its standards-development role, following the appointment of a former Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework architect as chief technology officer.
Sources: Kantara Initiative, NIST SP 800-63 Revision 4 Project Page
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
