Using Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) to Authenticate Your Devices (Device Arbitration)
DIDs Prove Control with Private Keys
Decentralized identifiers (DIDs) are a way to identify and authenticate devices. Unlike traditional unique identifiers, DIDs have a private key associated with them that proves control of the identifier. This is especially useful for devices, as they can hold their own private key and make assertions about their authenticity.
One way to secure devices is to use a hardware-protected private key, such as a TPM (trusted platform module) or TrustZone in an ARM processor. This ensures that the private key is not extractable and can only be used to make signatures in a trusted execution environment. The public key, on the other hand, can be stored on a verifiable data registry and associated with a DID, allowing it to be retrieved upon request.
Keys Can Be Generated at the Beginning or Middle of Device Arbitration Process
The timing of public/private key generation on a device depends on the specific use-case. For example, if the device needs to be authenticated as a genuine product from a particular brand, the keys may need to be generated at the time of assembly. On the other hand, if the device is being provisioned for a specific use-case, key generation may take place during the provisioning stage.
Using Key Generation to Protect User Privacy
It’s important to consider privacy when using DIDs and hardware-protected keys to authenticate devices. In cases where devices are being sold to the general public, it’s best practice to generate new keys to preserve the privacy of the user.
Benjamin Collins, Transmute’s Technical Product Owner, spent 10 years working with Linux and Open Source as the creator of DashGL.com, a site which provides tutorials for writing simple games for Linux in C using OpenGL and the GTK toolkit.
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About Transmute: Building on the security and freedom that Web3 promised, Transmute provides all the benefits of decentralization to enterprise teams seeking a cost effective, interoperable, planet-forward experience provided by experts in technology and industry.
Transmute was founded in 2017, graduated from TechStars Austin in 2018, and is based in sunny Austin, Texas. Learn more about us at: http://www.transmute.industries
