DID Use Case: Public Pointers to Private Data

Name

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Public Pointers to Private Data





Background

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When sharing information between multiple organizations, each participant typically segregates data that is publicly visible from data that is considered private. It is useful for organizations to provide the public information in a way that is cryptographically verifiable and includes the ability to point to data stores containing associated private information. This private information should only be accessible to authorized entities on an automated, case by case basis.





Need

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A national customs and border authority facilitating and enforcing the movement of goods across its border is automating and streamlining the sharing of relevant documentation from trade organizations. The customs authority asks each trade organization to self-issue an identifier that enables them to create digital signatures for the purposes of signing documentation and authenticating themselves. When a trade organization ships goods across the border, it uses the identifier to digitally sign and share data that is visible to the customs authority and other trade members. When and what data was provided by the trade organization is auditable, including pointers to private, trade-sensitive, access controlled data. When the customs authority is performing an inspection, (a) it reads and verifies the public data and private pointers, (b) retrieves a cryptographic access token that only they can use to access the private data, and (c) accesses the private data using the cryptographic access token.





Challenge

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While the public records are accessible to the customs authority and the trade organizations, the private records are only accessible to the customs authority or someone that they delegate the access token to. There are three protocols at play here: (1) accessing the public records, (2) using the access token for private access, and (3) the mechanism used to authenticate during the private access and the subsequent authorization to see the relevant private data.





Distinction

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This use case identifies the notion that DIDs and DID Documents will enable architectural models and protocols that have a public and private component to them. The identification of each actor in the ecosystem and all three protocols in the challenge  are dependent on the authentication and authorization mechanisms supported/referenced by DIDs and DID Documents.



This use case also suggests that naturally delegatable authentication and authorization mechanisms should be considered in order to reduce operational overhead and avoid privilege escalation problems when accessing these private systems.


Best Regards,

-          Anil

Anil John
Cyber Security R&D Program Manager
Science and Technology Directorate
US Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC, USA
anil.john@hq.dhs.gov<mailto:anil.john@hq.dhs.gov>

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