CryptID, an identity recognition system based on blockchain technology

Access control is an integral part of the security sector. It is extremely important. Almost every school, airport, corporate office, government office building, and even any place where people move around has access control restrictions. Even the driver's license in your pocket is a product of this industry. It is likely that it uses 45-year-old magnetic stripe technology, which can be easily forged by people who provide paid services on the dark web.

Currently, many government departments and large companies are using access control systems provided by many security companies. These systems have a central database to store personal data, and many also issue some kind of identity card.

The larger the database, the more security it requires, and the more expensive it is. The largest of these databases require local collaborative data processing centers, armed guards, and their own access control systems. This centralized case will always be subject to hacker attacks, downtime, software licensing fees and upgrades, huge energy costs, hardware limitations, network restrictions, technical support, IT training, and more. Today's systems are far from perfect.

CryptID is a new open source identity system. It is a low-cost, extremely flexible identity issuance and verification program that can be used by organizations of any size. The lightweight program uses Factom to write encrypted identity data to the blockchain and allows for multiple uses and many settings, even allowing the use of ID cards.

Because identity records, including small photo and fingerprint files, are no larger than a few hundred KB, the CryptID team was able to use Factom to store the entire record on the blockchain, and also time-stamp it in the Bitcoin blockchain. There is no need to run a local administrator server for others to access; all data is stored decentralized and can be accessed from anywhere.

The CryptID team said:

“We can chain multiple entries together, each of which is 10kb in size, and each kb costs a certain number of entry credits, which is about $0.005. We use a fingerprint template (ISO standard), which is actually very small, less than 1kb. We crop and compress the image, which loses a little bit of image quality, but is still easily recognizable, about 5-6kb. The rest of the information is about 600 bytes, depending on the length of your name. All of this adds up to about 8-9kb, which can be easily stored on Factom for a small amount of money.”

CryptID was originally created at the "Borderless International Student Hackathon" sponsored by BitGo. The original criteria of this competition was to create applications based on permissionless, open and decentralized ledgers. Judges included Ethereum founder维塔利·博特瑞and Airbitz's威尔•彭嘉敏, and CryptID won second place.

From a security perspective, using this solution can gain more benefits than traditional solutions. The main benefit is the cost savings gained from decentralization, because there is no need for data centers or dedicated servers, and the blockchain stores all information. Identity can be verified anywhere on the Internet without the need for an administrator server.

“The data is distributed across many computers, which prevents corruption and makes it nearly impossible for your identity data to be tampered with. Traditional identification methods rely on a centralized authority, such as a state government, to confirm your identity, which is vulnerable to attack and tampering.”

Enhanced security, the blockchain system takes advantage of Bitcoin's multi-signature addresses, so no single party holds anyone's identity. Open source means no one can easily break it. Passwords can also be tied to cards, such as photos and fingerprints, providing additional protection for users.

"Traditional identification methods require only one authentication factor, which is the card you hold. CryptID requires three. A unique identifier you have, a password you know, and a fingerprint that represents you."

Flexibility is another feature. Because user data does not have to be stored in a photo ID. The information can be stored in a place that can store a few KB of information or a QR scan code, which only represents your private key and password. Even the symbol can be hidden in jewelry or your mobile phone app can store your ID.

The front of the CryptID card shows the information issued by CryptID.xyz. The back shows the fingerprint and QR code. If you want to edit the information on the card, you will need to make a new one, so it is important to dispose of old cards properly.

Project lead Steven Masley told Devpost:

"Because the CryptID string can be stored anywhere that has the capacity to store 32 to 44 bytes of data, this means it can be implemented into existing proof-of-sense systems, such as magnetic card readers or smart card readers."

"Alternatively, a smartphone can be used to transfer optical data, typically a QR code that can be scanned with a scanner or camera."

Masri and partner达科塔•巴伯created CryptID for use as an illustrative web application and a standalone Windows program, the source code of which can be viewed on Github. A smartphone app can verify the identity of another person. The software is now complete.

CryptID is not the first decentralized identity solution based on blockchain. The first application to receive this honor is Bitnation, a global citizen ID project released in October 2014. However, it is not open source yet, can be used for free, and your identity information is permanently stored on the blockchain.

The main difference between them is that CryptID is designed for administrators to issue identities, so identities have a specific organization that authorizes their use.

Bitnation's identity system can create a new and unaffiliated identity for users, which can prove your identity without using any third party or even Bitnation's authorization. However, users need to be online to gain access. It is unlikely to be used when entering and exiting real-life objects such as doors, but it is not impossible.

Masri said:

“The open source nature of CryptID will allow for wider adoption and use in secure and unique systems. The use of blockchain for immutable, hacker-resistant, identity storage is both novel and unprecedented in the industry.”

Bitnatione will one day be a replacement for state-issued ID cards. Currently, CryptID is ready for use in businesses and universities, saving a lot of security budgets.

Original article: http://bravenewcoin.com/news/cryptid-open-source-identification-system-uses-the-blockchain-to-revolutionize-id/
By Luke Parker
Translator: Next (8btc.com username)
Reward address: 1Mwmes1CAwgvy5SEpjPAkbnp94BYtsRw66
Editor: printemps
Source (translation): Babbitt Information (http://www.8btc.com/cryptid-open-source)