Understanding the Internal Working of Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)

In today’s digital world, identity management is a significant challenge. Traditional identity systems rely on centralized authorities, such as governments, banks, or corporations, to verify and manage personal information. This often leads to issues related to privacy, security, and data breaches. Enter Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) — a decentralized approach to identity management that puts individuals in control of their own personal data, offering them privacy, security, and greater autonomy.

In this blog post, we’ll dive into how SSI works, explain its core components, and walk through an example of how the system functions in practice. Let’s explore the inner workings of SSI and its benefits.

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What is Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)?

Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is a decentralized identity model that allows individuals to own and control their identity without relying on third-party intermediaries. Rather than storing personal information in centralized databases controlled by governments, companies, or social networks, SSI leverages blockchain technology, cryptography, and decentralized identifiers (DIDs) to create a trustless system where users are the sole custodians of their identity.

SSI is made up of three main roles:

1. Issuer — The entity that creates and issues verifiable credentials (VCs) about an individual.
2. Holder — The individual who owns and controls their identity and verifiable credentials.
3. Verifier — The entity that checks the validity of the credentials provided by the holder.

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Key Components of SSI

1. Verifiable Credentials (VCs): Digital certificates or documents containing verifiable information, such as a degree or government ID, that is signed by the issuer.
2. Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs): A new type of identifier that enables verifiable, self-sovereign identity management. Unlike traditional identifiers (e.g., email addresses or usernames), DIDs are fully controlled by the subject and can be used across different platforms and services.
3. Blockchain or Distributed Ledger: A public, immutable ledger that stores the public keys of issuers and revocation statuses of credentials, ensuring transparency and trust.
4. Digital Wallet: A secure application used by the holder to store, manage, and share their verifiable credentials.

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How Does Self-Sovereign Identity Work?

Let’s break down the process of SSI into a simple, step-by-step example using Alice, a university graduate, as a case study.

Step 1: Issuer Issues a Credential

• Issuer’s Role: The Issuer (e.g., Alice’s University) creates a verifiable credential (VC), such as a degree certificate, that attests to Alice’s qualifications. The Issuer signs this credential using its private key, and this signed credential contains Alice’s degree information, such as her name, degree type, and the date it was issued.

• Blockchain Involvement: The Issuer’s public key is stored on a blockchain (e.g., Ethereum, Hyperledger). This allows anyone who wants to verify the authenticity of a credential to retrieve the Issuer’s public key from the blockchain and check the digital signature.

• Example: Alice’s university issues a degree certificate with a digital signature, which is added to a blockchain to ensure that it can be validated later.

Step 2: Holder Stores the Credential

• Holder’s Role: Alice, as the Holder, receives the verifiable credential (her degree certificate) from the Issuer. She stores this credential in her digital wallet, which is a decentralized application (DApp) that allows Alice to securely store, manage, and control her personal data.

• Cryptographic Protection: The credential is cryptographically protected, and only Alice, with the appropriate private key or password, can access it. Alice can choose to share parts of her credential, such as her degree, without revealing other personal details.

• Example: Alice’s digital wallet contains her degree certificate along with metadata (like the issuer’s DID and the credential’s expiration date), all of which are securely stored.

Step 3: Holder Shares the Credential with a Verifier

• Holder’s Action: When Alice applies for a job, she shares her verifiable credential (degree certificate) with the Verifier (her potential employer). Alice can decide whether to share the full credential or only specific pieces of information, such as just the degree verification and not other personal details.

• Sharing Mechanism: Alice uses a secure communication protocol like DIDComm to share the credential with the Employer. This ensures that the data is shared privately and securely.

• Example: Alice shares her degree certificate with a potential employer through her digital wallet via a secure communication channel.

Step 4: Verifier Verifies the Credential

• Verifier’s Role: The Verifier (Employer) checks the credential’s authenticity by verifying the digital signature. To do this, they retrieve the Issuer’s public key from the blockchain and use it to confirm that the credential has not been tampered with.

• Credential Validation: The Verifier also checks the revocation status of the credential. If the Issuer has revoked the credential (e.g., due to fraud), this will be recorded on the blockchain, and the Verifier will see that the credential is no longer valid.

• Example: The Employer uses the Issuer’s public key to validate Alice’s degree certificate. If the signature matches and the credential is not revoked, the Employer accepts it.

Step 5: Verifier Trusts the Credential and Grants Access

• Verifier’s Decision: If the credential passes verification, the Verifier (Employer) can trust the information provided by Alice and make a decision (e.g., offering her the job). If the credential is invalid (e.g., tampered with or revoked), the Verifier will reject it.

• Example: The Employer trusts Alice’s degree certificate after successful verification and hires her for the job.

Step 6: Credential Revocation

• Revocation Mechanism: If Alice’s degree is later found to be fraudulent or if the Issuer (the University) decides to revoke it for any reason, the Issuer updates the revocation status on the blockchain. This ensures that the Verifier can always check the most up-to-date status of any credential.

• Example: If Alice’s degree certificate is revoked due to a fraudulent issue, the University updates the revocation status on the blockchain. Any future Verifiers checking Alice’s degree will be notified of its revocation.

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Benefits of Self-Sovereign Identity

1. Privacy: SSI allows individuals to share only the necessary information with others, minimizing the amount of personal data shared and reducing the risk of privacy breaches.
2. Security: SSI uses advanced cryptographic techniques to ensure that personal information remains secure and tamper-proof.
3. Control: Individuals (Holders) have full control over their identity and credentials, eliminating reliance on third-party intermediaries.
4. Trust: By leveraging blockchain technology, SSI ensures the authenticity and immutability of credentials, fostering trust between issuers, holders, and verifiers.
5. Interoperability: SSI allows credentials to be shared and verified across different platforms, creating a seamless and standardized identity system.

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Conclusion

Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is transforming the way we think about identity management. It gives individuals the power to control, manage, and share their personal data securely and privately, without relying on centralized authorities. By utilizing blockchain technology, cryptographic signatures, and decentralized identifiers (DIDs), SSI ensures the authenticity, privacy, and security of identity credentials.

The future of identity is decentralized, and SSI is a key enabler of this transformation. As more institutions and businesses adopt this innovative approach, the digital identity landscape will evolve, providing individuals with the autonomy they deserve while ensuring trust and security in their online interactions.

How to Add 32-bit Architecture on Ubuntu

Ubuntu, like many modern Linux distributions, is designed to run on 64-bit systems by default. However, there are situations where you might need to add 32-bit architecture support, especially if you are running legacy software, games, or certain libraries that are only available for 32-bit systems. Fortunately, adding 32-bit architecture to Ubuntu is a straightforward process.

In this blog post, we will walk through the steps needed to add and enable 32-bit architecture on your Ubuntu system.

Why Add 32-bit Architecture?

1. Legacy Software: Many older applications and games were built for 32-bit systems. Some proprietary software and drivers are still only available in 32-bit versions.
2. Compatibility: Some libraries and dependencies might not have a 64-bit version available. For example, certain graphics or audio software tools may only offer 32-bit versions.
3. Emulation or Virtualization: If you want to run 32-bit virtual machines or containers on a 64-bit host, you may need to install the necessary 32-bit support.

Ubuntu, by default, runs on a 64-bit architecture, but you can enable 32-bit support (often called multiarch support) to allow you to install 32-bit libraries alongside your 64-bit applications.

Step-by-Step Guide to Add 32-bit Architecture on Ubuntu

Step 1: Enable Multiarch Support

Ubuntu supports multiple architectures on a single system through the multiarch feature. To add 32-bit support, you first need to enable this feature.

Open a terminal window and run the following command to add 32-bit architecture to your system:

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386

Here, i386 refers to the 32-bit architecture. This command tells Ubuntu that you want to enable 32-bit support.

Step 2: Update Your Package Lists

Once you've added the i386 architecture, you need to update your system's package lists to ensure the 32-bit packages are available.

Run the following command:

sudo apt update

This will fetch updated information from the repositories, including any 32-bit packages available for your system.

Step 3: Install 32-bit Libraries and Packages

After enabling the 32-bit architecture and updating the package lists, you can now install 32-bit packages. For example, if you need to install a 32-bit version of a specific package, you can use the following command:

sudo apt install package-name:amd64:i386

For example, if you want to install the 32-bit version of libc6, you would run:

sudo apt install libc6:i386

This command installs the 32-bit version of libc6 alongside the 64-bit version.

Step 4: Verify the 32-bit Libraries

After installation, you can verify that the 32-bit libraries are installed correctly. Use the following command to list installed 32-bit packages:

dpkg --list | grep ':i386'

This will show all packages that are installed with the i386 architecture.

Step 5: Running 32-bit Applications

Once you have the 32-bit libraries and packages installed, you can run 32-bit applications or programs on your system. You may need to configure the application to use the correct libraries, but most modern 32-bit programs should work out of the box.

For example, if you're using Steam to play 32-bit games, you can launch it as usual, and Steam will automatically detect the required 32-bit libraries.

Troubleshooting

Sometimes, you may encounter issues related to missing dependencies or conflicts between 32-bit and 64-bit libraries. If this happens, you can try the following steps:

• Reinstall Missing Libraries: If an application asks for a missing 32-bit library, you can install it manually using apt-get or dpkg as shown above.

• Check for Conflicts: If there are conflicts between 32-bit and 64-bit packages, you may need to manually remove the problematic package. Use the following command to remove a package:

  sudo apt remove package-name:i386
  

• Use Wine for Running 32-bit Windows Applications: If you're trying to run a 32-bit Windows program, consider using Wine or Proton (for gaming) as a compatibility layer.

Conclusion

Adding 32-bit architecture support on Ubuntu is a simple yet powerful tool for those who need to run older software or rely on 32-bit libraries. By following the steps above, you can enable multiarch support and install 32-bit packages without disrupting your existing 64-bit system. This ensures compatibility with a wide range of applications, particularly older software that hasn’t yet transitioned to a 64-bit architecture.

If you're running into any issues or need additional assistance with specific 32-bit software, feel free to ask in the comments or consult the Ubuntu forums for more help!