Identosphere 23 + Quarterly ANN • Bullish Case • Growth Factors • Trust Standard Road Maps
Curated collection of organizational updates, company announcements and personal blog posts jam packed full of information in the SSI ecosystem
Welcome (back) to your weekly identity updates!
Thanks and Note to our Patrons
Identosphere Quarterly ANN
Infominer has decided to start producing the Identosphere Quarterly, which will be a curation of our favorite reads and announcements over the last quarter. That publication will be timed according to the equinox and solstices.
Next week is the Spring Equinox, and we have tentatively planned the Identosphere Quarterly to be released the following week.
Identosphere’s Quarterly issue of top picks from our newsletter, will only be available to our Patrons contributing at least $10 a month.
If these weekly newsletters provide you a few bucks worth of value each week, now you have all the more incentive to support their creation on Patreon.
Coming Up
Internet Identity Workshop XXXII (#32) April 20-22
acquire the real-time pulse of genuinely disruptive technologies that are the foundation of today's important Internet movements.
Consumer Identity Management Evolution April 20, 2021
Busy that day? Register anyway & watch the recording.
Few businesses are evolving CIAM to deliver better security and privacy for customers as a way to differentiate their digital experiences from their competitors.
Aries Mobile Agent & Demonstration by GlobaliD Demo March 24
This wallet offers holder functionality for anyone who wishes to have aries credentials using the Indicio mainnet. GlobaliD developer Alexis Falquier and Dev Bharel will show a brief video demonstration of the wallet connecting, receiving credentials and verifying the credential with an agent on Trinsic studio - showing interoperability.
Registration - OpenID Foundation Virtual Workshop April 29, 2021
updates on all active OpenID Foundation Working Groups as well the OpenID Certification Program
Identiverse 2021 June 21-23 • Denver, co
Previous Events
On March 9, The Vienna Digital Identity Meetup
Xavier Vale of Validated ID and Dr. Ignacio Alamillo of Astrea covered the technical, legal and business dimensions of bridging between eIDAS and SSI concepts and increasing the value and usability of digital identity in the European model.
Podcasts
The Identity, Unlocked “eKYC with Mark Haine” Podcast Now Live
The OpenID Foundation is pleased to sponsor the Identity, Unlocked podcast. [...] Mark Haine is the Director at considrd.consulting and one of the Co-chairs of the eKYC & Identity Assurance WG. Among the many dots Mark is connecting on behalf of the OpenID Foundation is work with the GLIEF, the OIX Trust Framework Initiatives and the Open Banking Implementation Entity.
Identity, Unlocked... Explained: Season 2, Ep. 2
Vittorio Bertocci with Filip Skokan
a conversation about a few three-letter extensions to OAuth (which, incidentally, would also fit well in a pirate incantation!): PAR, RAR, and JAR. Filip is a Senior Engineer II at Auth0, the author of a popular book on open source identification, and a contributor to both the IETF and the OpenID Foundation.
Thoughtful Reflections by PingIdentity
An Examination of the Biases within Commercialized Identity on Hello User Podcast
Takeaway #1: When it comes to digital identity, the biggest problem is access.
“Decision makers often don’t consider the technological challenges others face because they have always had access.”
Takeaway #2: There is an intersection of ethics and civic responsibility when it comes to identity.
“There is no discipline for software engineers when it comes to identity and privacy due to the pace at which they are expected to build, but this will likely change because of liabilities and regulation.”
Takeaway #3: A potential side effect of the future of identity management could be a lack of anonymity.
“This exposes that gray area around allowing free speech while maintaining the right to privacy, and who should have access to authentication and verification.”
Takeaway #4: The technology exists to be able to create accountability models as it pertains to identity and to reduce misinformation.
“The challenge is having uncomfortable conversations to address the issues surrounding diversity.”
Self Sovereign Identity
Adrian Doerk’s Thesis is live!
The growth factors of self-sovereign identity solutions in Europe
This thesis introduces the concept of self-sovereign identity and analysis the factors required to achieve adoption of the concept. It describes the basic components of a self-sovereign identity system and provides the reader with an overview of important conceptual theories to understand the differences to traditional identity systems and the unique approach taken instead. It then dives into the status quo of the discussions around business, technology, legal and governance aspects. It further examines the central factors for the user and describes a know your costumer use-case as well as the current efforts and challenges for higher education certificates for learners.
Bullish Case for Self-Sovereign Identity
we like this post!
How is SSI technology creating a trillion dollar market?
The first step in every economic activity is to establish trust between economic actors.
There are more good pictures here!!!! Go look at them.
We like Part 2!!!!
SSI Business Models and Go-to-Market
In the second part I’m focusing on the business model and go-to-market aspects.
What are some limitations and opportunities for making profitable business in self-sovereign identity?
Spruce Developer Update #7
Released the first iteration of the Tezos DID method, which includes:
An implementation of TZIP-019 with a script to deploy and update the DID Manager.
An implementation of the DID resolution, which you can use through DIDKit.
How to write verifiable credentials in golang
Note: the code is written following the Verifiable Credentials Data Model 1.0
[...]
You can find full code here: https://github.com/ringaile/ver-cred
Freedom, Privacy and the Covid Pandemic BLOK
It’s quite important to outline the difference between #selfsovereignidentity and centralised solutions in the development of #covid #vaccinepassports.
The former requires zero trust on third parties, the latter is prone to hacking and abuse.
Capitalizing on Self-Sovereign Identity for Machines (Pt. 1) (Pt. 2)
Using SSI, they can not only provide their machines with a decentralized and secure identity but also cover authentication and authorization through verifiable credentials issued on top of these identities. With this solution we built with Venafi, we can communicate or authenticate, authorize these devices, and prevent them from vulnerability to attack or counterfeit.
Security, Silos, and Sovereignty
Why portable security is the sleeper — but killer — feature for SSI
what’s cool about DIDs (besides their self-service creation) is that their metadata is cryptographically verifiable. That means that anyone in the world can tell whether the metadata is legit, in the blink of an eye, just by asking software to check some math. And it also means that you can build a transport-independent, tamper-proof, encrypted communication channel with whoever controls a DID.
Why 2021 is the year for decentralized identity
Decentralized identity will make our increasingly decentralized lives easier. Or maybe our decentralized lives will make decentralized identity easier. Or both. Either way, this big idea is happening now.
Indicio expands workshops and introduces a new certification program
Looking to get up to speed in decentralized digital identity and verifiable credentials? Our custom trainings and workshops are designed to provide key insights into fundamental use cases, dive deep into the impact of the technology, and offer both technical and nontechnical audiences the opportunity to ask the questions they need to continue their education in decentralized identity.
Women in Identity
#IWD2021: Shining the spotlight on women in technology and digital identity
This International Women’s Day, we celebrate these role models and promote inclusivity to better recognize achievements in technology and digital identity from leading women. We are so lucky to have allies and strong relationships with various organizations led by strong female experts. It is a true honour to work alongside female leaders who heavily impact the industry with their thought leadership and innovative sights.
Decentralized Digital IDs: What it means for people, big tech, and the public sector
we had a conversation with Irene Adamski, General Secretary, German Blockchain Association, Bundesblock. Irene is responsible for Partnership Development & Regulatory Affairs at JOLOCOM, a Berlin-based company that focuses on developing Self-Sovereign Identity solutions.
Organizational News
Digital ID Lab Announces Successful Closure of Several Public and Private Grants
The Lab is Canada’s first independent and neutral organization to promote the compliance of and interoperability between digital ID solutions across public and private sectors, bridging a crucial gap in the advancement of Canada’s digital ecosystem.
GLEIF Launches New Stakeholder Group to Accelerate the Integration of LEIs in Digital Certificates
GLEIF has launched a CA Stakeholder Group to facilitate communication between GLEIF, CAs and TSPs from across the world, as they collectively aim to coordinate and encourage a global approach to LEI usage across digital identity products. Participation has already been confirmed by China Financial Certification Authority (CFCA), DigiCert Inc, InfoCert, Entrust Datacard, ICAI India, and SwissSign.
Spherity partners IDunion Trusted Identity Ecosystem
The project is funded within the innovation framework “Showcase secure digital identities” of the German government (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy). Spherity is entrusted on the application of cloud identity technology in the healthcare industry.
Ethereum OASIS Receives $100K for Baseline Protocol Projects
Today, the Baseline Protocol, part of the Ethereum OASIS Open Project and in partnership with Open Source Collective, announced that it has received a grant of $100,000 from the Ethereum Foundation to be used for the purpose of encouraging and accelerating baseline protocol R&D and enablement efforts. This comes on the first anniversary of the community’s formation.
CCG Highlights
Linked Data Security (slide deck)
The attached slide deck provides a basic overview (with examples) of Linked Data Security as well as the specifications in that orbit. The W3C CCG is actively developing a number of these specifications.
Roadmap: Verifiable Trust Standards
Green - General data format standards
Yellow - Vocabulary standards
Magenta - Protocol standards
Red - Low-level cryptographic primitive
Purple - General crypto packaging/protocol standards
Orange - Application layer standards
did:orb slides Troy Ronda (SecureKey)
Motivation – Enable monitorable ledgers
• Decouple witness ledgers from the critical path.
• Allow for Trust but Verify model.
• Leverage the Certificate Transparency model
• Witnesses observe VDR objects and promise to include in their ledgers.
• Provide a signed timestamp and a maximum merge delay.
• Enable monitoring to ensure witnesses follow their promises.
• Use trusted Witness (and origin) timings to resolve late publishing.
• Use origin to enable observers to know if they have the latest operations.
DHS/SVIP Interop Plug-Fest 2 : Features Under Test Anil John
As you know, we had our first Interop plug-fest last year in May 2020, which was a heavy lift for our portfolio companies -- To be blunt, while there was a lot of hand-waving on interop, that was the first time anyone had demonstrated any manner of concrete cross-vendor / cross-platform interop in the VC/DID community.
Evernym Series
Part 3: Digital Wallets and Digital Agents: Putting the Individual in Control
Fittingly, some define wrath as “when anger is directed against an innocent person, and when it is unduly strong or long-lasting.” That feels right if you consider the real-life impacts of disabling someone’s digital identity without notice.
Part 4: Getting on the Right Data Diet with Verifiable Credentials
Apparently gluttony means “overconsumption to the point of waste.” Sadly that feels apt when it comes to customer data APIs.
Part 5: How Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) Enable Smarter Customer Insights, With Less Liability
Put simply, most organizations are unthinkingly collecting more data from customers, without understanding the true impact: the real costs to themselves, and to customers.
Part 6: Breaking Down Silos with Open Ecosystems and True Data Portability
Every company providing a new digital identity solution believes that all the other digital identity options are not good enough, not secure enough, not fast enough. They believe they can do better.
Yet collaboration will be critical to making digital identity work properly at scale.
Part 7: Envy Counting The Cost of Data Collection, And A New Paradigm Of ‘Identity Holder Present’
It all feels like data envy to me. Aristotle described envy as the pain at the sight of another’s good fortune, stirred by “those who have what we ought to have.” Precisely.
Seven Ways Self-Sovereign Identity Can Enable True Digital Transformation: A CODA
“Self-Sovereign Identity not only presents an opportunity for businesses to build smarter, more secure, and more scalable relationships with customers; but it will enable them to completely rethink how they build trusted digital relationships from the ground up.”
We expect Digital Transformation to be a more prevalent talking point around digital identity. FOMO can go a long way, to sell SSI, for Governments and Corporations striving to not be left behind in the digital age.
Not SSI / Not Identity
Digital Transformation needs a narrative Dr. Emrys Schoemaker | Caribou Digital
Three takeaways to define digital transformation for development
The international development community has to think big.
There has to be a move from doing to influencing.
The international development community has to influence digital transformation for ‘Good’.
Key Takeaway: the international community needs to agree on a direction and set of outcomes
Why we need new, nationwide personal data infrastructure
The central plank of Mydex CIC’s consultation response is that the UK needs to build a new layer of data logistics infrastructure that:
Includes citizens in the workings of the data economy, empowering them with the ability to collect, store, use and share data about themselves independently of any data controllers they may have data relationships with.
To achieve this, the Government needs to ensure that every citizen is provided with their own personal data store, which enables citizens to collect, store, share and use their own data, under their own control
These personal data stores should be designed to act as neutral, enabling nodes in a vibrant data sharing network, whereby citizens can obtain copies of their data held by organisations and can forward relevant elements of this data (such as Verified Attributes) to other data users under their control