A helping hand: Protocol translation and handling

Identity and authentication protocols drive the identity ecosystem, providing seamless and secure transaction of data. However, their implementation, especially the more complex of protocols, such as OIDC FAFI and CIBA MODRNA can be challenging for service providers. Also, interoperability across system and between services is complicated by non-standard or otherwise non-interoperable protocols.

The challenges of protocol handling

Designing a service that relies on secure, usable, and verifiable identity is challenging. There are lots of complicating factors involved in creating a successful service that chimes with customers, secures their data, and has options for interacting with the service. Identity and authentication protocols can provide the ability to meet many of these design challenges. The identity sector, alongside industry bodies such as FIDO, Kantara, and OpenID , has developed identity and authentication protocols that enable secure and usable identity-based services. However, implementing and supporting these protocols can be a challenge for a service provider.

The challenges of protocol translation

In addition to protocol handling, protocols may need to be translated across the components of the service. Legacy components, varying protocol types, and so on, all add to a complex mesh of protocol handling needs. An orchestration and decisioning engine can perform the translation of this mismatch of protocols, ensuring seamless end-to-end transaction that remove blockers from the smooth operation of the service.

Orchestration and decisioning for protocols

Identity ecosystems often have many moving parts. Services may wish to take advantage of offerings from open banking to verification vendors. Services may also wish to offer their customers the option to connect and transact using multiple channels. Orchestration and decisioning meets all of the challenges of protocol translation and handling on behalf of the services within the ecosystem.

Complex implementations of secure protocols such as OIDC FAFI, is done on behalf of the service by the identity orchestration.

By handling the protocol overhead on behalf of the identity system, orchestration and decisioning allows for secure, seamless interoperability, and extends the use case availability of the system.

For further details on how orchestration and decisioning can extend your identity ecosystem capabilities, contact Avoco’s experts.