U-Prove
Encyclopedia
U-Prove is a cryptographic technology for claims-based identity management
developed by Stefan Brands
and the company he founded, Credentica. It aims to offer greater security
, scalability, and privacy
(including anonymity
) than existing identity management frameworks, and allows for claims to be tied to the use of smart card
s. The technology and underlying patents were acquired by Microsoft
in 2008.
In March 2010, Microsoft announced the release of a cryptographic specification and open source
API implementation code for part of the U-Prove technologies as a Community Technology Preview under Microsoft's Open Specification Promise.
Identity management
Identity management is a broad administrative area that deals with identifying individuals in a system and controlling access to the resources in that system by placing restrictions on the established identities of the individuals.Identity management is multidisciplinary and covers many...
developed by Stefan Brands
Stefan Brands
Stefan Brands is an entrepreneur and former cryptography researcher whose work has focused on digital identity, electronic money, and information privacy. He obtained his doctorate from Eindhoven University of Technology while at CWI in Amsterdam. In 2002 Stefan founded Credentica to advance his...
and the company he founded, Credentica. It aims to offer greater security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
, scalability, and privacy
Privacy
Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively...
(including anonymity
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
) than existing identity management frameworks, and allows for claims to be tied to the use of smart card
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
s. The technology and underlying patents were acquired by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
in 2008.
In March 2010, Microsoft announced the release of a cryptographic specification and open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
API implementation code for part of the U-Prove technologies as a Community Technology Preview under Microsoft's Open Specification Promise.
See also
- Blind signatureBlind signatureIn cryptography a blind signature as introduced by David Chaum is a form of digital signature in which the content of a message is disguised before it is signed. The resulting blind signature can be publicly verified against the original, unblinded message in the manner of a regular digital...
- Zero-knowledge proofZero-knowledge proofIn cryptography, a zero-knowledge proof or zero-knowledge protocol is an interactive method for one party to prove to another that a statement is true, without revealing anything other than the veracity of the statement....
- Identity metasystem