Self-sovereign Identity : A Conceptual Framework & Ecosystem Design

Sammanfattning

The ideas expressed in this thesis are meant to address the need for a transformation in the identity management systems currently in use in different parts of the world. Specifically, the paper presents a logical deduction of essential processes to allow for communication between individual people, governments, organizations, and private institutions to exchange and manage information pertaining to identity. This thesis proposes a conceptual framework for the design of an ecosystem that supports self-sovereign identity. The research reviews theory, methodology, and technology from subjects such as design, identity, and distributed systems. Through the design process, a set of elements and functions supporting interactions within an ecosystem were developed. The design is revolved around the ideas of privacy, security, distribution, and interoperability. The findings are presented as two parts of a whole, the first being the conceptual framework that describes a set of essential factors that an ecosystem requires in order to fulfill the goals of self-sovereign identity and interoperability. The second is a set of visualizations of how the framework can be used to design systems and interactions, inside and between the systems, to create an ecosystem.