Digital Credential Authentication via Distributed Ledger and Smart Contracts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for digital credential management lack secure and efficient methods for verifying user identities and granting access, often leading to data theft and misrepresentation issues during information transfer.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a distributed ledger for secure storage and verification of digital credentials, employing cryptography and smart contracts to authenticate user identities and authorize access, ensuring the legitimacy and revocation of credentials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If digital credentials are used for building access authentication, then access control security is improved, but system complexity increases due to the need for secure verification infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
A distributed ledger system acts as an intermediary between credential issuers and verifiers, providing a decentralized trust layer that eliminates the need for complex centralized verification infrastructure. The ledger stores and manages digital credentials securely, allowing any participant to verify credentials without requiring a central authority.
Solution Approach 2:
Digital credentials are copied and distributed to multiple verifiers across the network without requiring each verifier to maintain a separate database or verification system. The credential data is replicated on the distributed ledger, enabling universal verification with minimal infrastructure.
2Reliability
If cryptographic verification is implemented for digital credentials, then data security is improved, but processing time increases due to cryptographic operations
Solution Approach 1:
Cryptographic signatures are applied to credentials at the time of issuance, and verification data is pre-computed and stored on the distributed ledger. This allows verifiers to perform quick validation by comparing presented credentials against pre-stored verification data, rather than performing full cryptographic verification from scratch each time.
Solution Approach 2:
The computationally intensive cryptographic verification operations are extracted from the verification process and performed in advance during credential issuance and ledger updates. The verification process itself only requires simple comparison operations, significantly reducing verification time.
3Reliability
If distributed ledger technology is used for credential storage, then credential legitimacy is improved, but system complexity increases due to blockchain implementation
Solution Approach 1:
The distributed ledger system serves multiple functions: it stores credentials, manages verification data, tracks credential revocation, and provides audit trails. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single unified platform, reducing overall system complexity despite the advanced technology used.
4Extent of automation
If smart contracts are implemented for access authorization, then automated access control is improved, but device complexity increases due to smart contract deployment
Solution Approach 1:
Smart contracts are deployed once on the distributed ledger and then autonomously execute access authorization logic without requiring external intervention. The system automatically verifies credentials against smart contract rules and grants or denies access based on the verification results, eliminating the need for manual authorization processes or complex external verification systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for credential authentication includes an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to receive a create indication to create a guest credential representing a guest badge associated with a visitor and receive a claim indication from an authentication device to claim the guest credential. The processor is configured to provide the guest credential to the authentication device in response to the claim indication, provide a proof request to the authentication device, receive a proof response from the authentication device, validate the proof response, determine a visitor tracking system associated with a request from the authentication device to authenticate entry, and provide a check-in indication to the visitor tracking system that the visitor has checked in.