HttpSig for Solid was: What’s after DIDs?

Hi, 

   I put together a very short outline of how one can
extend HttpSignature so that the keyId becomes an https
dereferenceable identifier.

https://github.com/bblfish/authentication-panel/blob/master/HttpSignature.md

Would be interested in feedback on this, or perhaps a pointer
to the right place to discuss this.

This would be along the line of ”What’s before DIDs” rather than
what is after Did’s.

Henry Story

> On 1 Aug 2019, at 10:43, Henry Story <henry.story@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>> On 30 Jul 2019, at 18:03, Dave Longley <dlongley@digitalbazaar.com> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> On 7/30/19 8:23 AM, Henry Story wrote:
>>>> On 30 Jul 2019, at 13:16, Henry Story <henry.story@gmail.com <mailto:henry.story@gmail.com>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Would it be possible to make a minor extension to HttpSignature
>>>> so that one can use https WebIDs [0] just as a way to get a simple
>>>> thing going? That could be completely compatible with DIDs, but
>>>> would allow one to get going in cases where one does not need
>>>> all of the extra goodies that DIDs give one.
>>>> 
>>>> I did some work on that to implement a server side HTTP-Signatures
>>>> and before that I worked on how one could use JS Crypto to create
>>>> keys in the browser. 
>>> Actually I think one could get the two to get quite close by adding a
>>> notion of a KeyId ie perhaps an URI for a key that could be linked to
>>> a WebID. One could then have
>>> - https:// KeyIds. These could be located in the WebID Profile,
>>> in a different document on the same server, or perhaps even on
>>> a different server.
>>> - or dids.
>>> A WebID could point to the KeyID or DID (or perhaps these are
>>> the same?), and authentication using Https Signature could then
>>> pass both in the header. The DID for authentication, the WebID for
>>> social network type identifier, and the link from the WebID  to the
>>> Did/KeyId in the Profile Document would be the proof.
>> 
>> My understanding is that HTTP signatures already supports something like
>> WebID-style authentication. Just use a URI for the `keyId` parameter.
>> 
>> We already use HTTP signatures in conjunction with LD proofs and DIDs.
>> To my knowledge, it wouldn't work any differently if the `keyId` pointed
>> at a key that resolved to a document that referenced a WebID as its
>> `controller`. You'd then dereference that WebID to ensure its profile
>> document had an appropriate back link to the key. (This is generally how
>> LD proofs work, so it is agnostic to DIDs or WebIDs).
> 
> Yes, it would probably just need a short spec to make clear how that is meant
> to work. 
> 
> I am currently out of funds to be able to put time into it, but would definitely
> love to do it when I get time.
> 
> Henry Story
> 
> PS. If anyone has some money to do push that further here is my CV
> https://bblfish.net/cv.pdf
> 
>> 
>> 
>>> Henry
>>>> 
>>>> Henry
>>>> 
>>>> [0] https://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/webid/spec/identity/
>>>> [1] https://github.com/read-write-web/akka-http-signature
>>>> [2] https://github.com/read-write-web/solid-client
>>>> 
>>>>> On 30 Jul 2019, at 04:22, Manu Sporny <msporny@digitalbazaar.com <mailto:msporny@digitalbazaar.com>> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> On 7/29/19 1:35 PM, Joe Andrieu wrote:
>>>>>> TL;DR What’s after DIDs?
>>>>> 
>>>>> From a technical standards perspective, these are currently pain points
>>>>> for Digital Bazaar and our customers that seem like we might be able to
>>>>> collaborate on with other developers / companies in this group:
>>>>> 
>>>>> * True multi-DID interop
>>>>> * True multi-wallet/issuer/verifier interop
>>>>> * Collaboration on the Credential Handler API
>>>>> * Linked Data Proofs/Signatures (W3C WGs for these)
>>>>> * Secure Data Hubs (or, how do we make storage privacy-aware
>>>>>  and self-sovereign)
>>>>> * Verifiable Credentials 1.1 (we're not done yet)
>>>>> * Verifiable Credentials Extensions
>>>>> * VC/DID/LDP Registries
>>>>> 
>>>>> There are non-technical things we should do as well:
>>>>> 
>>>>> * Non-Violent Communication (and other approaches) to mend some of the
>>>>>  damage across the identity community
>>>>> * Field Work - More Use Cases from real people/customers
>>>>> * Bite sized material to communicate our work to the general public
>>>>> 
>>>>> -- manu
>>>>> 
>>>>> -- 
>>>>> Manu Sporny (skype: msporny, twitter: manusporny)
>>>>> Founder/CEO - Digital Bazaar, Inc.
>>>>> blog: Veres One Decentralized Identifier Blockchain Launches
>>>>> https://tinyurl.com/veres-one-launches
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> Dave Longley
>> CTO
>> Digital Bazaar, Inc.
>> http://digitalbazaar.com
> 

Received on Wednesday, 4 September 2019 08:50:48 UTC