Verifiability. Most Important Feature of Digital Certification

In the fast-paced, interconnected world of the digital age, trust and authenticity have never been more critical. Whether you're verifying the legitimacy of an online purchase, the source of a news article, no-gluten label on a consumer product or even the qualifications of a job applicant, the need for assurance and verifiability is undeniable.

In the not-so-distant past we used to rely on paper. Important documents, from birth certificates to business contracts, were stored in our cabinets or external archives. Not only were these records vulnerable to damage, loss and fraud, often they were also incredibly difficult to access, share and verify. Digitization was meant to leverage and automate document management processes - issuing, exchanging and storing, and it did - partly. However, one of the crucial steps - authenticity verification - still needs way more improvement. In this article we explore the benefits of blockchain-based documents verification.

Verifiable Credentials, Digital Certificates, Digital Records

When we talk about verifiability, naturally many of us immediately think about verifiable credentials. Although this is one of the types of the documents that need verification. There exist many others, like digital certificates or other digital records of various types.  

Verifiable credentials are tamper-proof digital credentials that can be easily and securely verified by third parties. Verifiable credentials follow the relevant World Wide Web Consortium open standards. Examples include digital employee identification cards, digital birth certificates, and digital educational certificates.

Digital certificates are digitally issued or/and stored documented claims showcasing and attesting certain qualities,  qualifications, achievements, or attributes. Any permits, assessments, micro-credentials, diplomas or licenses issued by accreditation and certification bodies, private businesses or academic or research institutions fall under this category. Learn more about DoxyChain digital certificates here.

Digital (and electronic) records are generally the information units we can see on the screen in a digital form - multimedia files, pieces of content, e-commerce offers. Data recorded in such files often holds value and also proprietary rights. With increasing tech-enabled frauds and AI deepfakes advancements, the need for securing (notarizing on blockchain) the original forms of these files emerges.  

The Blockchain Powered Verifiability

The advantages of incorporating blockchain-based verifiability into document workflows are fascinating. Important note here, “Incorporating” means one would have to either issue or add a file on a decentralized platform (e.g. DoxyChain.com, dock.io, blockcerts.org). Learn more about blockchain-based documents (particularly, digital certificates) here.

Beyond the simple assurance of a document's authenticity, the practical benefits include:

• increased accessibility - one doesn’t need to retrieve an important document from a third-party closed registry or parents’ house;
• indisputable verification - one doesn’t have to go to notary or any other eligible institution to verify the authenticity and origin of the file, blockchain will transparently show the data;
• security - one can be sure that the document hasn’t been forged or manipulated;
• convenience - one doesn't have to always hold physical documents and credentials with themselves, a smartphone will serve as the repository of all the variable digital files.

How Verifiability Works

Verifiability is made possible through the cryptographic mechanisms embedded within blockchain-based platforms. Often, involved parties (or any stakeholders in case of a public document) need to have a document ID (hash), a QR code or the file itself to put in the online accessible database - verifier.

DoxyChain platform, for instance, assumes all the three methods of verification. One of the sample ways to verify the document validity, status or even history of actions is through scanning the QR code with a smartphone. The link will direct an interested party to Verifier.

The full process of a blockchain-based document issuing is described in one of our latest blogposts.

Summary

As the world increasingly goes digital, the demand for secure, efficient, and user-centric digital credentials solutions continues to grow. Verifiable credentials offer a promising future where individuals have control over their identity data, and organizations can easily verify the information they need.

The future of digital identity is not only secure and convenient but also user-driven, empowering individuals to own their identity in the digital age. With verifiable credentials at the forefront, the future is bright for the way we establish, prove, and protect our digital identities.

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If you aspire to leverage your digital credentials management and win with competition, we encourage you to explore a DoxyChain solution at www.doxychain.com.