Self-sovereign identity (SSI) is a developing concept in identity and access management that seeks to enhance individual control over digital identities. The premise of SSI is to return ownership of digital identity to individuals, enabling them to make choices regarding the sharing and disclosure of their personal information.
Overview of Self-Sovereign Identity
Self-sovereign identity (SSI) is a developing concept in identity and access management that seeks to enhance individual control over digital identities. The premise of SSI is to return ownership of digital identity to individuals, enabling them to make choices regarding the sharing and disclosure of their personal information.
Contrast with Traditional Identity Management
To grasp the significance of SSI, it is essential to compare it with conventional methods of digital identity management. Traditionally, users, such as students or faculty members, establish accounts using usernames and passwords. These credentials are associated with sensitive information, such as personal identification, which is governed by the organization providing the credentials, such as a university or vendor. As a result, individuals do not fully “own” their digital identities; management is entirely in the hands of the issuer.
Typically, when new students or faculty are onboarded, they receive credentials linked to a central database managed by the university. Consequently, even with single sign-on options, users do not possess significant authority over their identifying data. The prevalence of siloed identity systems often necessitates the use of password managers to manage multiple usernames and passwords across various services.
Federated Identity Systems
An alternative approach to siloed identity systems is the federated identity model, which relies on third-party entities to issue credentials through frameworks such as Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML). Although federated identity can streamline password management, it does not confer control over personal data to users. In situations where the third-party provider is unavailable, users may experience difficulties accessing their accounts.
Benefits of Self-Sovereign Identity
The primary objective of SSI is to enhance user control and privacy concerning digital identities. Users have the autonomy to determine which personal information to share and with whom, thereby redistributing power from traditional issuers to individuals. However, current implementations of SSI are largely theoretical, with many of the required technologies and frameworks for wide-scale adoption still in development.
SSI has potential implications for cybersecurity strategies within higher education by facilitating the transfer of digital identities as individuals transition between educational institutions and employers. This could simplify the verification of degrees and certifications without cumbersome processes. Moreover, students would have the ability to control the information they choose to divulge, as opposed to relying solely on institutional privacy policies.
Considerations for Educational Institutions
For educational institutions, the adoption of SSI may reduce opportunities for fraud and enhance the security of published information. This is due to blockchain technology’s capability to create cryptographically verifiable credentials that are difficult to alter. Despite the potential advantages, SSI remains a rapidly evolving concept, and its widespread implementation in higher education is not yet feasible.
Original source: EdTech Magazine