Spherical Cow Consulting

Translating geek to human

Magnifying glass focusing a laptop, smart phone. Introspection of technology.

Is Introspection a Bug or a Feature?

When we talk about introspection in digital identity, we’re not just talking about what happens in OAuth 2.0. Yes, there’s a token introspection spec, but this post is about something broader: the idea that platforms—especially browsers—can inspect and influence the identity data being exchanged. Is that a good thing? Apple and Google disagree on just
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business competition, A worthy competitor, Player confrontation, Administration and Management., 3d rendering

Digital Credentials vs. Traditional Federation: What’s the Difference?

tl;dr: Traditional identity federation has enabled digital identity with centralized, third-party logins, for decades. Its limitations in security and user control, however, are becoming a problem, especially when there are alternatives being developed. Digital credentials offer a decentralized, user-empowering alternative that enhances privacy and enables offline authentication. We’re looking at a brave new world with
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Shared signals bouncing through space above Europe.

Shared Signals: Who Pays the Price for Stronger Identity?

What if fraud prevention was, you know, a shared effort? That’s where the Shared Signals Framework (SSF) comes in! The idea behind shared signals is simple: instead of each company detecting threats on its own, organizations (or systems within an organization) can share security events—like compromised credentials or suspicious logins—in real-time. The SSF, developed by
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A cryptographic math maze circle with path to center; which path you actually take is secret thanks to zero-knowledge proofs.

Zero-Knowledge Proofs: Privacy, Innovation, and Equity

Imagine being able to prove you’re old enough to buy a drink without flashing your ID—or proving you have insurance without handing over your policy details. Sounds like magic? It’s just math. Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) might be the biggest leap for privacy since encryption, but they also come with serious challenges. Let’s talk about the
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