Improved online privacy and security with Self-Sovereign Identity

In the digital world, a huge amount of personal information is recorded. Think of personal data such as your name and age, which can be found on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, email providers such as Microsoft and Google, and countless webshops where we make our purchases. Although this information is available, it is important to note that this data has no official status when it comes to establishing your age or identity.

In addition, we often blindly trust the cybersecurity level of the organizations to which we entrust our personal data. This is not without risk. On June 6, BNR ran the headline: The Netherlands leads Europe in data breaches. Over the past five years, the Dutch Data Protection Authority has received more than 114,000 reports of data breaches, about 20,000 per year. Developments such as Self-Sovereign Identity contribute to general awareness and the urgency of keeping your digital hygiene in order. Both as an individual and as a service provider.

Self-Sovereign and decentralized storage of personal information, for example through a mobile identity wallet, can help reduce the risk of becoming a victim of data breaches.

The fact that all this personal information is registered digitally has led to growing awareness of its limitations when it comes to validity and reliability. Although it is possible to present certain aspects of your identity online, this data often cannot be considered official and verifiable.

Establishing someone’s age and identity often requires a formal process based on reliable and verifiable sources. This may require presenting official identity documents, such as a passport or identity card. These documents have legal status and are recognized as reliable sources for establishing someone’s identity and age.

💡Discover how, together with KPN, we developed a solution with the Personal Identity Manager PIM to share personal data securely  

Although digitizing personal information offers many benefits, it is important to remember that this data is not a substitute for official identity verification. Carefully and accurately establishing someone’s age and identity remains a crucial step in ensuring reliability and certainty in various contexts, such as financial transactions, medical services and legal procedures.

A promising solution for bringing this identification and verification into the digital age is Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI). With SSI, you control your own identity data and how it is shared. The concept of Self-Sovereign Identity enables you to securely store and manage personal information in a decentralized environment, such as a (mobile) digital wallet, where you decide which information you share and with whom.

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Developments are currently taking place at European level to shape regulations and solutions around digital identity, with the aim of giving you more control (Self-Sovereign Identity) over which data you want to share and with whom, while also ensuring a reliable digital identity.

Self-Sovereign Identity wallet in your pocket

In an SSI system, you store personal identity data in a digital wallet, often called an identity wallet or Self-Sovereign Identity wallet called. With this wallet in the form of a mobile app, you can control access to your personal information, decide with whom you share it and verify your identity without depending on human intervention. Examples include the Personal Identity Manager (PiM) and SURF’s SSI wallet, which enables students to retain digital access to their study records at all times.

Self-Sovereign Identity provides more control, privacy and portability for personal identity information. This development will have a significant impact on various industries, such as the financial sector, healthcare and government services, by enabling more secure and efficient identity verification processes while giving you more control over your own data.

Crucial role for mobile devices

Mobile devices play a crucial role in SSI because they are personal devices and provide a simple, universal platform for accessing and managing your own digital identity. In addition, mobile devices have built-in features such as biometric authentication (fingerprint or facial recognition) and Secure Enclaves (Apple), which improve the security of identity verification processes. These features can be used to strengthen the integrity of self-sovereign identities on mobile devices.

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Using Self-Sovereign Identity in combination with mobile devices offers several advantages:

• Control: You have full control and ownership of your personal identity data.
• Privacy: SSI enables you to share only the necessary information and retain control over your data, reducing the risk of data breaches and unwanted access.
• Efficiency: SSI, especially when digital or mobile, streamlines identity verification processes, enabling faster and easier access to services and applications.
• Security: Self-Sovereign Identity uses cryptographic techniques and decentralized storage, making it more secure and more resilient against hacking and identity theft.
• Trustworthiness: SSI systems provide verifiable and tamper-resistant credentials, increasing trust and reducing the need for manual verification processes.
• Portability: You can use your digital identity across different platforms, services and devices, reducing the need for multiple accounts and login credentials.
• Consent-based sharing: You can selectively share parts of your identity with organizations you trust, granting permission on a case-by-case basis.

By using the capabilities of mobile devices and SSI, it becomes possible to interact more securely in the digital world, carry out transactions, access services and share identity data when necessary, while retaining control over private data.

European digital identity

Dutch and European government policy aims to give citizens more control over their digital lives. The introduction of a European electronic identity (eID) is intended to contribute to this. At the moment, this is still organized at national level (DigiD in the Netherlands). In addition to helping citizens and businesses manage digital matters more easily and securely, the EU also wants citizens to be less dependent on American Big Tech companies that offer identity wallets.

Every European country currently still has its own eID. To work toward a central solution, the European Commission wants to develop a uniform digital identity that allows citizens to identify themselves throughout the European Union. The eID will be linked to a European personal number, and an initial version of an eID wallet app is expected this year. The goal is for all EU citizens to be able to use a wallet app with the eID on their smartphone in 2025.

💡 Want to know more about digital identity? Read our article: The future of digital identity

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Autonomy in the digital age

In an era where digital interactions are an integral part of our daily lives, the need for a reliable, secure and efficient way to verify identity is clearer than ever. Self-Sovereign Identity represents a revolution in the way identity data is managed and shared in the digital space.

By placing personal identity information in people’s own hands and giving individuals control over what is shared and with whom, SSI offers a powerful alternative to traditional centralized methods. It not only makes identity verification processes more efficient, but also contributes to privacy protection and the security of personal data.

The integration of SSI with mobile devices uses the portability and biometric authentication capabilities of these devices, contributing to the trust and integrity of digital identities.

From a broader perspective, the value of SSI is recognized by government bodies such as the European Commission, which is working toward a uniform digital identity in the European Union. This development shows the importance of SSI in facilitating a safer and more user-friendly digital environment at a larger scale.

It is crucial that the further development and adoption of SSI technologies takes potential challenges into account, such as interoperability, regulation and public acceptance. Despite these challenges, Self-Sovereign Identity offers a promising path for the future of digital identity, aligned with the growing need for autonomy, privacy and security in our increasingly connected world.

Elements & Self-Sovereign Identity

At Elements, we are committed to making the digital world more accessible and more secure. We are actively involved in building mobile wallets that help people manage their own digital identity. By working with organizations such as SURF and KPN and developing various identity wallets, we make a substantial contribution to ensuring that people are in control of their own data.

We are aware that there are challenges in the development and acceptance of SSI technologies, such as ensuring compatibility between systems, complying with regulations and earning public trust. But over time, SSI will become the new standard. That is why Elements has been working for years on numerous solutions in this domain for different organizations and sectors. With the expertise of our specialists and collaboration with others, we can move toward a future in which everyone has more control, privacy and security in the online world.

Curious how we can help your organization develop a Self-Sovereign Identity Wallet, or do you have challenges in the field of Mobile Identity? Contact us to discuss how we can help your organization develop a digital identity solution.

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