What is Decentralized Identity?
Decentralized identity is a trust framework built using blockchain technology that puts users in control of their data using verifiable credentials. Decentralized identity solutions replace data held within siloed databases with self-owned credentials. Microsoft describe this technology as “the path to digital privacy”, and through implementing distributed identity solutions, we ensure organisations put their user’s digital privacy front and centre.
As digital identity advances: privacy, security, and interoperability remain vital components in ensuring a quality and robust service for both an organisation and its customers. Users will hold their credentials within a secure digital wallet, and organisations are granted access to specific pieces of data by the user.
Verifiable Credentials
Verifiable credentials are the digital versions of the identities we use every day, such as passports, driving licenses, employer credentials, and qualifications. A verifiable credential is a piece of information about a user that is cryptographically signed by the organisation issuing it, such as a bank, university, or employer, and stored in the user’s secure digital wallet.
To prove that a credential has been issued by a trusted organisation and not tampered with a document describing the credential (but not the credential data itself) is published to the blockchain technology.
When someone wishes to verify the credential, they request the credential contents from the user and read the description document from the blockchain. The verifier can then perform cryptographic or other processes to determine if the credential is authentic and unchanged.
Decentralized technology: Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)
Think of SSI as your digital wallet. In everyday life, you carry your wallet around; this typically holds your bank card, a driver’s license, and a gym card. Now imagine this wallet, but digitally, like your Apple Wallet. No one can see it, limiting the risk of theft. Your personal information is stored in your digital wallet, and specific items in this wallet are given out on your accord.
Why choose Condatis?
We are Microsoft Gold Partners and experts in identity and access management. We are actively shaping decentralized identity and strategic direction through our membership on the Decentralized Identity Foundation and Open Identity Exchange.
Our team of experts actively design and implement solutions for our clients while developing our new product in the decentralized identity space.
Benefits with our decentralized solutions:
- Individuals control how their data is stored, shared, and used.
- Significantly reduce time and cost of onboarding and staff movement.
- Integrate with modern applications or commercial software package.
- Maintain competitive advantage by using the latest solutions.
- Scalable, supporting businesses as their identity requirements change.
More on Decentralized Identity
Benefits and use cases of SSI Experts Richard Astley and Rob Gathergood presented the benefits and use cases of Self-Sovereign Identity. We've recapped the key details. Learn more about decentralized identity
Webinar recap: SIOP and Microsoft Authenticator Last week, CTO, Chris Eckl and Lead Developer, Antonios Tsikrikas, hosted the fourth webinar in our decentralized identity series. This session focuses specifically on SIOP and Microsoft Authenticator. In this blog, we’ll be recapping the Q&A session from the day. If you’ve missed previous webinars in the series and wish to catch up, you can do so by visiting our events… Learn more about decentralized identity
Webinar Recap: Getting started with self-sovereign identity Last week we started our webinar series on self-sovereign identity (SSI). Our presenters, Richard Astley and Mikko Vuorinen, covered the basics of self-sovereign identity and will continue to build on each webinar as the series progresses over the next five months. This blog recaps what we covered in the Q&A segment. Did you miss the… Learn more about decentralized identity
Identity in Depth In previous blog posts, we have covered various topics around identity, the evolution of identity, federated identity, and an extensive introduction to SSI with example uses cases. This blog generalises all defence solutions related to authentication methods of the past and the future while introducing the concept of Identity in Depth. Note: We would like… Learn more about decentralized identity
Trust in Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) Part two of the Condatis blog series on trust. In part one, we covered Trust in Federated Identity. In part two, we discuss Trust in Self-Sovereign Identity, a more privacy-preserving model from centrally-held identities. Learn more about decentralized identity