Selective Personal Data Verification via Distributed Ledger Hashes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for sharing and verifying personal data lack user control, transparency, and efficiency, as users often interact with multiple verification services through different portals, making it difficult to track which information is stored where and how it is shared.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using cryptographic hashes to selectively verify personal data by storing hashes in a distributed database, allowing users to control which elements are verified and with whom they are shared, without storing the actual data, utilizing a distributed ledger or hash table for data integrity and authorization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users store credentials or personal information with multiple providers through different verification services, then personal data can be shared and verified with various providers, but users lose control over their personal data and cannot easily track which information is maintained by which provider
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a distributed ledger as an intermediary layer between users and multiple providers. The ledger stores cryptographic hashes of personal data elements and records authorization decisions, serving as a neutral mediator that enables users to control data sharing across multiple providers without having to manage each provider's verification system separately. This resolves the contradiction by providing both multi-provider compatibility and centralized user control through the ledger intermediary.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the control mechanism from individual provider systems and places it in a separate user-controlled distributed ledger. By separating the authorization management function from the data storage and verification functions performed by providers, users gain centralized control over their personal data while still being able to share it with multiple providers. The ledger extracts and consolidates control capabilities that were previously scattered across multiple provider systems.
2Reliability
If conventional verification services are used to authenticate personal information, then data can be verified with providers, but users must interact with multiple different portals and verification services, making the process complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal verification system based on cryptographic hashes stored in a distributed ledger that can be accessed by multiple providers through a standardized interface. Instead of requiring separate verification services for each provider, the system provides a single universal mechanism that any provider can use to verify personal data elements. This reduces the number of portals and services users must interact with while maintaining reliable verification across all providers.
3Reliability
If personal data is stored with providers for verification purposes, then verification can be performed, but security risks increase and storage requirements grow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the actual personal data from provider storage systems and keeps it only in the user's secure storage on their device. Providers store only cryptographic hashes of the data elements in the distributed ledger, which are computationally infeasible to reverse-engineer into the original data. This extraction of data from provider control while retaining verification capability significantly reduces security risks associated with data breaches and unauthorized access at provider systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses cryptographic hashes as disposable, non-sensitive representations of personal data for verification purposes. These hashes serve their function of enabling verification without containing any recoverable personal information, and can be freely shared and stored without security concerns. This approach allows providers to store verification data without incurring security risks or significant storage costs, as the hashes are essentially disposable artifacts that cannot be misused to reconstruct original data.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a computed-implemented method, a computer program, and a computer system for selectively verifying personal data. The method comprises receiving, by an identity application of a client device, personal data of a user. The method further comprises computing, via a cryptographic hash function, one or more cryptographic hashes from elements of the personal data. The method further comprises storing the cryptographic hashes, an internal identifier and a timestamp as an entry in a distributed database. The internal identifier is unique within the distributed database. The method further comprises receiving a user request from the user. The method further comprises selecting one or more of the elements of personal data for verification. The method further comprises requesting verification of the selected elements of personal data. The method further comprises determining an authorization indication in response to the verification request. When the authorization indication indicates that the verification request has been allowed, the method further comprises verifying the selected elements of personal data using cryptographic hashes from the entry in the distributed database.