In a bid to provide better control to the consumers over their personal data, Microsoft is planning for two products that will help them regain the control of their data, according to a whitepaper published this week.
One proposed project is called Identity Hub that will provide a safe and encrypted data storage and will be based on the Microsoft Azure cloud service while also utilizing the technology of the user’s device. The project would allow anyone to store their data, but only third-parties with the required permissions will be able to access it.
The other project is a wallet-like app and would work in line with the technology mentioned above. In here, users will be able to store their permissions in the wallet and will be able to manage them, access or revoke the authorization as the case might be.
Both the products will make use of blockchain technology and would expand the Decentralized Identifiers Technology (DIDs) established by W3C (World Wide Consortium).
Similar to the traditional blockchain, even DID is known for their ability to remove a central authority from power. All the identities are registered on a blockchain (or an equivalent blockchain network) and would not allow anyone to do anything without identification until and unless the user in power permits it.
According to the paper, Microsoft plans to implement this technology as a ‘second layer’ over the traditional blockchain, and will have the goal of establishing a “unified, inter-operable ecosystem that developers and businesses can rely on to build a new wave of products, applications, and services.”
However, no timelines are shared for any of these projects by the company. The paper points out that “Every person has a right to an identity that they own and control,” and further added
“We aspire to make DIDs a first-class citizen of the Microsoft identity stack.”
Keeping the recent data-leak scandals by various giants like Facebook and Google in mind, adopting proper steps in the direction of data security has become evident, and it is good to see the renowned technical conglomerate, Microsoft, making the right efforts to secure the digital industry.
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