NYMSMs and Pseudo-Identities –

Pseudo-NYMSM offers our subscribers a new identity for the Internet. Our pseudo-identities separate our subscribers’ true identities from their online identities and protect their true identities while they travel the web. Pseudo-identities are embedded in a technology called NYMSMs. NYMSMs are secure, reusable, easy to use credentials that include the subscriber’s preferred pseudo-identity. With a pseudo-identity, our subscribers can be whoever they want to be while they travel the Internet. They can also have multiple pseudo-identities: a subscriber can choose to be Nikola Tesla one day and Zeus the next.

The idea of pseudo-identities separate and distinct from identities in the real world was first proposed in 1997 by Sherry Turkle in the ‘Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet’. ‘Life on the Screen’ documented that early Internet users had abstract usernames different from their real names. The use of abstract usernames has continued ever since: GamerTags are an example of pseudo-identities in the online gaming world. Pseudo-NYMSM is extending the idea of pseudo-identities to the rest of the Web.
With NYMSMs, our subscribers can visit our network of partners and identify themselves by their pseudo-identity. Our partners recognize the pseudo-identify and can use it in place of their real identity. Our partners may also offer special services and discounts – all while protecting our subscribers’ real identity. Our partners only request your real identity when absolutely necessary.

Pseudo-identities and NYMSMs have the following benefits:

  • A NYMSM contains a pseudo-identity that protects our subscribers’ real identity and can be used to recognize first time or repeat visitors to websites.
  • NYMSMs can replace passwords at our partner sites: one NYMSMs can replace multiple passwords at different partner websites.
  • NYMSM’s are an ‘opt-in’ technology: end users are prompted to share their NYMSM.
  • The underlying technology to utilize NYMSMs is already built into standard web browsers and servers on the Internet today, including mobile devices.

NYMSMs and pseudo-identities are a new way to access the web that protects our subscribers’ personal information, are easy to use, replace passwords and make the Internet that much more secure.