Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI).

An identity model in which individuals or organizations hold and present their own credentials directly, without relying on a central identity provider. It belongs to the Identity & Access category of cybersecurity.

An identity model in which individuals or organizations hold and present their own credentials directly, without relying on a central identity provider.

Self-Sovereign Identity, or SSI, is an approach to digital identity in which the subject controls their identifiers, keys, and credentials directly, typically through a personal wallet on a phone or device. Trust is established through cryptographically verifiable claims issued by recognized authorities and presented to relying parties without revealing more than necessary. SSI is built on open standards such as W3C Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs), W3C Verifiable Credentials, and selective-disclosure proofs, often using BBS+ signatures or zero-knowledge proofs. Real-world deployments include the EU Digital Identity Wallet, the LF Decentralized Trust ecosystem, and government-issued mobile driving licences, all aiming to reduce reliance on centralized identity silos.

Defences for Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) typically combine technical controls and operational practices, as detailed in the full definition above.

Common alternative names include: SSI, User-controlled identity.