Decentralized identity for secure network access: A blockchain-based approach to user-centric authentication
Department Network Development Engineer, Amazon, Ireland.
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2019, 03(03), 143-155
Publication history:
Received on 14 September 2019; Revised 24 october 2019; accepted on 29 october 2019
Abstract:
The well-known network access systems are highly centralized user-based on solutions which expose their vulnerabilities to face in the line of privacy, identity theft, and single point of failure. Decentralized Identity (DID) has been proposed as one of the transformational frameworks that allows individuals to own, control and manage their digital identities on the basis of a blockchain and verifiable credentials. The current paper will discuss how DIDs are transforming network access by moving away from centralized network authentication models to self-sovereign identity systems. We present a conceptual model, a reference architecture, and show how DID-enabled authentication may be used to enable secure, privacy-respecting user-centric access to networked resources. We discuss the examples of use cases such as enterprise Wi-Fi access, onboarding of IoT devices, and federated systems of logins outlining the new possibilities that enhance the autonomy, trust, and resilience of users. Besides, we consider the difficulties of implementing DID-based systems on actual network conditions considering interoperability, governance and draft regulations requirements such as GDPR. We see as relevant in practice the integration of DID in network access protocols, which provides a promising alternative to traditional models in decentralized, mobile, and trust-sensitive applications.
Keywords:
Decentralized Identity (DID); Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI); Verifiable Credentials; Blockchain; Network Access; Identity Management
Full text article in PDF:
This paper has received Best Paper award in the Volume 3 - Issue 3 (October 2019)
Copyright information:
Copyright © 2019 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0