EBSI-VECTOR: the digital identity of the future, with the technological tools of today

We might think that digital identity is in some areas an "outdated" concept, and if you are reading these lines, it is likely that several of your personal or professional transactions are already being carried out through purely digital means. We could say that the current picture is somewhat "rosy", but let us try to look a little deeper into this issue in order to get a glimpse of where there is room for improvement.

Improving the existing and filling the "gaps"

The service-level integration of the "digital self" has undoubtedly developed favourably, but this does not mean that there is still "some way to go" in a number of important communication and information transfer processes between individuals, companies and administrations. Thus, there are many procedures and processes to which digitalisation has only partially reached (transfer of medical records, qualifications, health and safety coordination, etc.), insofar as the procedures derived from personal and secure access or transfer of information have not yet been resolved in all cases. 

In a globalised environment, two aspects in particular must be taken into account:

• Interoperability: Ideally, our digital credentials should be used for as many transactions as possible. The potential problem is not only the variety of formats (certificates, passwords, bio-checks, apps), but the lack of connection or "understanding" between the systems. 
• Safety: Most digital credential systems work by allowing the user to access a service by means of a credential that must be verified, this credential being issued either by the service provider itself (e.g. access to a bank with username and password) or by an independent certification authority (e.g. an electronic signature). These systems have two main weaknesses: they may be vulnerable to impersonation or attacks on any of the actors involved, and revocation of compromised credentials may not be immediate for all involved.

EBSI-VECTOR: use cases for secure verifiable credentials based on blockchain infrastructures

From June 2023 until May 2025, Izertis is collaborating in the EBSI-VECTOR (EBSI enabled Verifiable Credentials & Trusted Organisations Registries) project, which, with the collaboration of more than 50 partners from 20 countries, focuses on the use of credentials in the fields of education and social security in Europe. The premises of EBSI-VECTOR are as follows:

• In the area of security, EBSI-VECTOR makes use of technology provided by the various nodes of the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI). This network, in a very simplified way, is used to "shred" and "scatter" credentials, which prevents them from being breached by targeted attack on credential issuers, credential users and/or verifiers, and ensures that the status (validity/revocation) of the credential is updated. 
• In the area of interoperability, the project builds on the European self-sovereign identity frameworks (ESSIF) and the EUeID (European Digital IDentity), addressing the technical, institutional and user needs for the integration of both in the application cases. A key aspect in this respect is the integration of different digital wallets (holder wallets for individual users, Enterprise wallets for companies/institutions), applications/software intended to store, manage and use digital information in a secure way.
• EBSI-VECTOR develops pilot activities with concrete applications in the sectors of education and social security. In the field of education, use cases related to learning achievements, transcripts and student identity are considered. In the field of social security, the project focuses on the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and the S1 Portable Document. Additionally, EBSI-VECTOR is working on the development of company registries, addressing the digital identity of legal entities.

Izertis' capabilities allow the organisation to participate in EBSI-VECTOR with a very relevant role, leading the development of a reference Enterprise wallet for the project (in the recent past, Izertis has developed Identfy, the first open source digital wallet in Spain), coordinating the compliant integration with the EBSI infrastructure of the holder wallets, and also coordinating the application case in the field of education, where it aims to reach some 30 European universities.

A horizon of possibilities 

Blockchain technologies and infrastructures and digital wallets are already tools that drive more secure and efficient management of digital identities and credentials. Izertis is actively working in the field of applying blockchain technologies to the needs of its clients, and work such as that developed in EBSI-VECTOR is being boosted by participation in new European projects, such as DC4EU and WE BUILD. 

Izertis' commitment to these technologies and applications is therefore clear, as is our ability to provide technical solutions and lead processes related to the secure implementation of systems based on digital identity. We are happy to listen to your needs and help you.