Well, it looks like one company knows how to work without indulging in one’s private data
IBM had earlier announced Identity Mixer, which is the company’s latest technology that does not require the user’s personal data while authenticating them. In fact, the company is going beyond its own reach in an attempt to protect that data. Now, according to the latest report, the company had announced that its latest tech is available to developers on its Bluemix cloud platform.
In the modern era, it is quite common for apps to require users’ identity, along with a series of other credentials before proceeding forward. However, it creates unnecessary exposure towards the user by using their sensitive information in order to pass the authentication phase. One such example can be when users are attempting to access a website whose content might not be acceptable to view for the younger generation.
In order to confirm the individual’s age, that person has to punch in his/her date of birth, which is literally giving away your information.
In the event of a security breach, all of the sensitive information is out into the open. IBM is attempting to change that with Identity Mixer. What Identity Mixer does is that it is designed to protect users’ privacy by focusing just on the essentials of the proof. According to a report, the following describes the nature of the work being done by the company:
“Thanks to a set of algorithms based on cryptography work done at IBM Research, the tool allows developers to build apps that can authenticate users’ identities using what’s known as a ‘zero-knowledge proof’ that collects no personal data.”
The authentication phase can only be passed if the user is able to provide the correct public key. Since each user has been given a unique secret key, it becomes fairly difficult for identity theft to take place. This in turn protects that user’s privacy to a very large extent.
IBM has not provided any exact date as to when Identity Mixer will be available for public use, but this is actually the first time that a tech company has taken such a step to ensure the user’s privacy.
There is still the whole concept of tracking an individual with the key. Therefore, data is still being mined and analysed.