UK MoD Taps Hippo Digital for Review of Secret-Level Identity Verification Systems

The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded Leeds-based consultancy Hippo Digital a short-term contract to review and recommend improvements to its digital identity and verification systems for officials with Secret-level security clearance. The two-month engagement, valued at approximately £9,166 including VAT, began in early July.

Scope and Objectives

The project focuses on assessing identity validation, entitlement attestation, and identity lifecycle processes – covering creation, maintenance, and retirement of user credentials – for around 20,000 active Secret-level users, including personnel stationed overseas. The Secret classification sits between Top Secret and Official in the UK government’s three-tier system, and requires enhanced secure networks and infrastructure due to the sensitivity of information handled.

According to official documentation, Hippo Digital will conduct a detailed review of the current systems and define technical solution options to improve security and efficiency. While the initial focus is on Secret-level users, the MoD requires that any proposed approach be scalable to the larger Official-level community, which could encompass up to 250,000 personnel and process around 1,000 identity changes per week.

Strategic Context

The contract reflects a growing emphasis on modernizing digital identity systems in the defence sector, where secure and efficient verification processes are essential for enabling personnel to access sensitive information from multiple locations. By ensuring the system can scale to the broader workforce, the MoD aims to create a foundation for consistent identity management across classification levels.

Hippo Digital is a user-focused digital consultancy with experience delivering public-sector identity services, including projects for the UK’s National Health Service. Its work for the MoD will align with the department’s long-term goal of strengthening secure access controls while supporting operational flexibility for defence personnel.

Source: PublicTechnology

–

By Ali Nassar-Smith