Decentralized Authentication Identities to Improve Security

Imagine that an IoT device administrator wants to implement identity and access control for their devices, even for the users who may utilize services related to an IoT solution. With the traditional approach, this administrator must rely on a third-party identity issuer, trust this issuer, and share with them information such as credentials, device make and model, IP address, and others. Much of this data ends up traveling over the network, so even if end-to-end encryption is used, there is always a risk of data leaks that might eventually be used to launch a spoofing attack. With Janus, the data is encapsulated in the blockchain structure, which means that only the decentralized identifier travels over the network. This allows validating access, authentications, and confirming data without the need to expose the information, thus increasing confidentiality and privacy.

How does Janus pave the way for new models of trust between organizations and individuals?

Janus allows anyone to manage the identities of their devices without having to depend on a third party, with the reliability and security offered by blockchain. Once this mechanism is in place, it establishes trust and people are free to manage their identities and use a legitimate identity for themselves and for anything else. This breaks identity management paradigms, as organizations and individuals no longer need to rely on a third party to generate trust. Organizations can create secure access control mechanisms without having to transfer this data from one place to another.

How does Janus guarantee that users are protected from DDoS attacks?

One way to combat DDoS attacks is by constantly validating network access and permissions. We are referring to Zero Trust, a concept that has gained traction in recent years and according to which we should never trust, always verify. But to verify one must first identify oneself, which in turn requires a reliable identity. Janus introduces the secure identity issuance approach, generating the base required by Zero Trust. Another thing worth noting is that we can perform these validations via blockchain, without exposing the data on the network, thus making it difficult for an attacker to steal the identities.

Janus is based on the blockchain network, cryptography, and the zero-knowledge protocol. Can you explain what this means and how it contributes to transparency and cost savings?

Blockchain technology uses cryptographic hashes, an algorithm executed by a group of computers that adhere to a consensus protocol and validate transactions and events on the network, using an immutable, decentralized storage mechanism. Cryptography has long been used to protect information and communications between peers in a computer system and is one of the most important elements in the blockchain. Zero-knowledge proof is a protocol that establishes a method to validate a statement without revealing anything beyond the veracity of the statement. It consolidates transparency, as all access management and control events and identities are stored in the blockchain, which is immutable by nature and therefore guarantees that the process will not breach the data. The cost savings have to do with the fact that it allows individuals and organizations to manage identities without the participation of any third parties, which reduces the cost of implementing IoT solutions.

*The goal of the FRIDA program is to support projects, initiatives, and solutions that will contribute to the consolidation of a global, open, stable, and secure Internet.

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