Decentralized personal master data using linked data
The project explores, how linked data technology can be used for decentralized administration of personal master data.
Factsheet
- Lead school School of Engineering and Computer Science
- Institute Institute for Data Applications and Security (IDAS)
- Research unit IDAS / Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Strategic thematic field Thematic field "Humane Digital Transformation"
- Funding organisation Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (Bundesverwaltung)
- Duration (planned) 11.01.2024 - 30.11.2025
- Project management Pascal Mainini
- Head of project Pascal Mainini
- Partner Bundeskanzlei BK
Situation
In Switzerland, data on natural persons is managed in a decentralized manner compared to other registers and is subject to different authorities. For instance, part of the personal data can be found in the population registers of cantons and municipalities, while other attributes such as the AHV number are managed at the federal level. Currently, the different registers are interconnected through numerous processes and interfaces, making it cumbersome for data users to aggregate attributes of a person from various systems. A solution to this problem by centralization of registers is unrealistic from a legislative perspective; a distributed yet more efficient approach is needed. The Linked Data technology could potentially offer a solution: with its inherently interconnected approach and data storage at the source, it could be suitable for the federal structure of registers with various areas of responsibility.
Course of action
The development of a prototype aims to investigate the suitability of Linked Data technology for providing decentralized attributes between the federal government, cantons, and municipalities. On one hand, this requires modeling the relevant data structures for personal data as Linked Data, and evaluating mechanisms for access control (authentication and authorization) on the other. This project focuses on the second aspect: evaluating suitable mechanisms and implementing a prototype. For this, an analysis of the current state is conducted, focusing on existing use cases. One or more selected exemplary use cases are then implemented for the prototype. The prototype can then be used for demonstration purposes and further analysis.
Result
The project primarily produces two results: the aforementioned prototype and a concept for access control in Linked Data, tailored to the environment of personal data in Switzerland. The prototype is intended to be released as open-source software.
Looking ahead
The project develops concepts that can serve as a basis for potential advancements in the management of data on natural persons in the decentralized environment of the federal government, cantons, and municipalities. A unified representation of data as Linked Data and access through corresponding interfaces have the potential to simplify, further automate, and expedite government services.
