The Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate has selected SecureKey Technologies to develop a blockchain-based technology for the social security number system under a $193,000 award.
Under the Silicon Valley Innovation Program, SecureKey will create and implement an alternative SSN identifier that does not expose personally identifiable information, DHS said Friday.
The alternative identifier would feature boosted security and be shareable with legitimate authorities and organizations. The identifier would not be reusable for tracking.
“SecureKey will implement a system based on World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards, such as Decentralized Identifiers, that will allow for the issuance of a globally unique, meaningless but resolvable and verifiable identifier that will not reveal personally identifiable information and cannot be used for tracking purposes," said Anil John, technical director of SVIP.
DHS issued the award under SVIP's Preventing Forgery and Counterfeiting of Certificates and Licenses solicitation.