The language of self-sovereign identity

The user establishes an identity by registering an account (typically a username and password) with a website, service, or application.

Trust gained through direct experience.

API is the process of proving an identity and it occurs when subjects provide appropriate credentials to prove their identity. For example, when a Subject provides the correct password with a username, the password proves that the Subject is the owner of the username. In short, the authentication provides proof of a claimed identity. A. Something you know, such as a password or PIN; B. Something you have, such as a smart card, CAC, PIV, or RSA token; C. Something you are, using biometrics.

A decentralized record-keeping ledger/system.

Identifier is issued by a central government, organization, or service provider like banks or telecom companies. The issuer gives the user permission to plug into a website, service, or application with limited controls and permissions.

A digital and secure peer-to-peer channel is used to connect the issuer of the ID, the holder of the ID, and the verifier of the ID. The issuer, holder, and verifier then can digitally communicate through the “connection.”

A set of information that some authority claims to be true about the subject of the credential—and which in turn enables the subject to convince others (who trust that authority) of these truths.

Decentralized apps act as the gateway to web 3.0.

Decentralized Identifier (DID) is a new type of identifier that enables verifiable, decentralized digital identity. A DID identifies any subject (e.g., a person, organization, thing, data model, abstract entity, etc.) that the controller of the DID decides that it identifies.

Decentralized identity systems leverage the tamper-evident nature of cryptographic technology to provide trust in digital identity credentials, without requiring a centralized authority to coordinate the issuance, use, or verification of credentials. At the heart of a decentralized identity system is the user. A user can see, manage, and control the use of their credentials; share them with other entities, such as a bank or employer; and use them for authentication.

Software that operates a person’s SSI digital wallet. The software acts as a digital guardian that wraps around the user’s digital wallet to protect it and makes sure only the user, the person responsible for the verifiable credentials and cryptographic keys, can use them.

Encryption is a way to hide the content of messages or documents so they can only be read by someone who knows a secret method/key.

A third-party identity provider (“IDP”) single identity service provider manages the identity account of a user by providing individuals with an identifier for signing on or logging into various other services through a “single sign-on” or “social log-in” button. The IDP then “federates” this login into each entity or service that the individual is trying to access.

A cryptographic hash is like a unique digital fingerprint of a digital message or docu- ment. It is a fixed-length character sequence produced by running the input through a hashing function.

Holders request VCs from issuers, hold them in the holder’s digital wallet (discussed in the next section), and present proofs of claims from one or more credentials when requested by verifiers (and approved by the holder).

Organization issues a unique set of credentials to an individual to centrally manage user accounts, access controls, and identity workflows (e.g., signup, authentication, etc.)

Issuers are the source of credentials. Every credential has an issuer. Most issuers are organizations such as government agencies (passports), financial institutions (credit cards), universities (degrees), corporations (employment credentials), NGOs (membership cards) etc.

A technique where an algorithm securely detects whether the source of a biometric sample comes from a fake representation or is a live human being.

A registry of DIDs that the issuer revokes. Verifiers can check if the holder uses a revoked claim on the blockchain.

A document that is used to guarantee the structure, and by extension the semantics, of the set of claims comprising a Verifiable Credential. A shared Credential Schema allows all parties to reference data in a known way.

Software Development Kit (SDK) a collection of software development tools in one installable package. They facilitate the creation of applications by having a compiler, debugger, and most likely a software framework. They are normally specific to a hardware platform and operating system combination.

Empowers the owner of a piece of data to disclose parts of a large data set, so the receiving entity knows just what’s needed.

Empowers the owner of a piece of data to disclose parts of a large data set, so the receiving entity knows just what’s needed.

A digital form of wallet where keys and verifiable credentials are stored with the implementation of open standards for portability. These wallets work in tandem with digital agents to form connections and perform credential exchange.

A digital form of wallet where keys and verifiable credentials are stored with the implementation of open standards for portability. These wallets work in tandem with digital agents to form connections and perform credential exchange.

Documentation proving that you have been vaccinated against Covid- 19 (or any other virus).

Verifiable digital credentials that will enable individuals to easily, safely, and privately prove their identities. For credentials to be verifiable, the verifier must be able to determine: Who issued the credential It has not been tampered with It has not expired/revoked

Verifiers can be anyone—person, organization, or thing—seeking trust assurance of some kind about the subjects of credentials. Verifiers request proofs from holders of one or more claims from one or more VCs. If the holder agrees (and the holder always has that choice), the holder’s agent responds with a proof the verifier can then verify.

Web 3.0 is a potential future internet version based on public blockchains. The appeal of Web 3.0 is that it is decentralized and central authorities do not get to select who gets to access what services, nor does it require "trust," which means that virtual transactions between two or more parties do not require an intermediary.

A zero-knowledge proof is a “cryptographic algorithm that allows users to verify information without disclosing the information—verifying only that the information is indeed correct with a very high probability.