When we talk about data spaces, what is a connector, and why should it be certified? The Connector is the most crucial element within a data space. Through them, participants in a data space access the space and the data. They are responsible for managing the data in accordance with the usage policies defined by the owner of access and usage rights, ensuring its sovereignty. Its certification, based on specific security standards, ensures that every Connector operates as intended, establishing a foundation of trust upon which participants can commence their actual data exchange.

In addition, the validation of data space components is also important for several reasons:

  • Reliability and Robustness: Validation ensures that components meet established standards and certification criteria. This ensures that the components are reliable and function correctly in the secure data exchange among certified entities.
  • Compliance with Standards: Component validation ensures compliance with standards formulated by organizations such as IDSA (International Data Spaces Association). This ensures interoperability and compatibility between different systems and applications, facilitating data exchange among different entities.
  • Secure Data Exchange: By validating components, data exchange among certified entities is promoted using certified core components, such as IDS connectors. This ensures that data is transmitted securely and sovereignly, protecting the privacy and integrity of the information.
  • Data Protection: Component validation helps protect user data. By ensuring that components comply with security and privacy standards, the risk of security breaches is reduced, and the protection of confidential information is ensured.
  • Quality and Trust: Component validation ensures the quality and reliability of data space implementations. By using validated components, it is ensured that data is managed appropriately, and errors or issues that could affect data integrity or system functionality are avoided.

In summary, the validation of data space components is essential to ensure reliability, security, and quality in data exchange among certified entities. SQS is a laboratory accredited by IDSA (International Data Spaces Association) for the validation of components according to the standards established by IDSA. By trusting accredited laboratories like SQS, you can be certain that components meet established standards and are suitable for use in secure and reliable data exchange environments.