Embracing Decentralized Identity (DI) in the GÉANT/NREN Ecosystem
The Essence of DI and Its Importance
Decentralized Identity (DI) represents a transformative approach to managing digital identities. Unlike traditional centralized systems, DI empowers individuals with greater control over their personal information across multiple ecosystems. The essence of DI lies in its potential to establish cross-sectorial standards and prioritize user-centrism, ensuring that users have consistent and secure identity experiences across various domains. This paradigm shift involves changing roles for Identity Providers (IdPs), moving from centralized authorities to facilitators of user-managed identities.
Cross-Sectorial Standards
DI technology aims to create universal identity standards that transcend individual sectors. This means identities are not confined to a single industry or application but can be recognized and utilized across different ecosystems, such as education, healthcare, finance, and beyond. Cross-sectorial standards enhance interoperability, allowing for seamless identity verification and data exchange, thereby reducing friction and enhancing user experiences.
User-Centrism Beyond One Ecosystem
User-centrism in DI emphasizes the user's control over their identity data, ensuring privacy and security. This approach is not limited to a single ecosystem but extends across various domains, allowing users to manage and share their identities on their terms. This shift towards user-centrism empowers individuals and provides a unified, secure, and efficient identity management system.
Changing Roles for Identity Providers (IdPs)
In a DI framework, the role of IdPs evolves. Instead of being central authorities that control user identities, IdPs in a DI ecosystem act as facilitators and verifiers of identity claims. They provide the infrastructure and services that enable users to manage their identities while ensuring trust and security across different ecosystems.
Horizontal Integration for Ecosystem Interoperation
While DI technology could be deployed in a vertically integrated manner within specific ecosystems, the true value lies in its horizontal integration capability. This means establishing DI systems that work seamlessly across various ecosystems, promoting interoperation and reducing silos.
The "Why" of Horizontal Integration
GÉANT and the NREN community have successfully managed identity inter-federation for nearly two decades, particularly within their siloed ecosystem. However, DI technology offers the promise of overcoming these ecosystem barriers. By adopting DI, we can achieve greater interoperability and integration with other ecosystems, providing more immediate benefits.
- National Borders: We have long experience in crossing national borders through identity federations, ensuring secure and trusted identity management across countries.
- Regional Borders: Our globally scaling eduGAIN federation exemplifies our ability to operate beyond regional confines. With the advancing EU eIDASv2 framework, regional integration will become even more critical, yet we aim to maintain our global reach.
- Sectorial Borders: This is a novel challenge for us. DI technology can simplify the process of crossing sectorial boundaries, opening new opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
Risks and Considerations
Deploying DI technology is not without risks. The technology is still maturing and has yet to be tested at scale. Possible outcomes include:
- Incremental Implementation: DI ecosystems develop gradually, leading to a global DI ecosystem.
- Non-Deliverance: DI technology fails to meet expectations, and no significant DI ecosystems emerge.
- Partial Success: A global DI ecosystem forms but does not add value to our ecosystem as anticipated.
Our approach must remain aligned with our core values: openness, inclusiveness, global scale, trust, and authority.
Strategic Actions and Community Involvement
To navigate this evolving landscape, GÉANT and the NREN community need to define actionable steps:
- Leverage Existing Expertise: Build on our two decades of experience in managing cross-sectorial identity federations to guide DI adoption.
- Collaborate on Standards: Participate in global standardization efforts, particularly those driven by EU initiatives like eIDASv2 and EUDI Wallet, ensuring our needs and values are represented.
- Pilot Projects: Initiate pilot projects to test DI technology in practical scenarios, such as student mobility, research grant applications, and cross-sector job applications.
- Engage Stakeholders: Foster collaboration with educational institutions, research bodies, and industry partners to create a robust and inclusive DI ecosystem.
Tangible User Stories
- Student Mobility: Enable students to manage their educational credentials and transfer them easily across institutions and borders.
- Research: Simplify the process of applying for grants and sharing data by using a trusted DI system.
- Cross-Sector Applications: Facilitate professional advancements, such as applying for jobs or joining professional registers, using verifiable digital identities.
Conclusion
The integration of DI technology within the GÉANT/NREN ecosystem offers a promising path to enhance identity management, promote interoperability, and support our core values. By taking proactive steps and leveraging our extensive experience, we can lead the way in adopting DI and shaping a future where identities are secure
, user-centric, and interoperable across various sectors and borders.
Moving Forward
To capitalize on the benefits of DI technology while mitigating its risks, we propose the following steps:
Engage in Standards Development: Actively participate in the development of global standards for DI, ensuring they reflect our community’s needs and values. Collaborate with initiatives such as eIDASv2, EUDI Wallet, and similar efforts worldwide to contribute to the creation of interoperable and secure identity frameworks.
Pilot and Scale Projects: Implement pilot projects to test DI technology in real-world scenarios. These projects should focus on areas where we can immediately see benefits, such as student mobility, research applications, and cross-sector job applications. By starting small, we can learn and adapt our approach before scaling up.
Enhance Collaboration: Foster deeper collaboration with educational institutions, research organizations, industry partners, and government bodies. This will not only help in the adoption of DI technology but also ensure that the developed solutions meet the diverse needs of all stakeholders.
Educate and Advocate: Launch education and advocacy campaigns to raise awareness about the benefits of DI technology within our community. Provide training and resources to help stakeholders understand and implement DI solutions effectively.
Maintain Trust and Authority: Continue to uphold the trust and authority established by GÉANT and the NREN community. Ensure that new DI solutions are built on open standards, are inclusive, and maintain the integrity of the identity management processes we have developed over the years.
Monitor and Evaluate: Continuously monitor and evaluate the deployment of DI technology. This will help us identify any issues early on and make necessary adjustments. Regular assessments will ensure that the technology delivers on its promises and continues to align with our core values.
By following these steps, we can ensure that our transition to DI technology is smooth, beneficial, and aligned with our long-term goals. This proactive approach will help us stay at the forefront of identity management innovation and continue to provide valuable services to our community.
In conclusion, adopting DI technology represents a significant opportunity for the GÉANT/NREN ecosystem. By focusing on horizontal integration, we can enhance interoperability, improve user experiences, and support global collaboration. While there are risks associated with this approach, our extensive experience and commitment to our core values will guide us in navigating this evolving landscape and achieving successful outcomes.