Digidentity IDK overview

The IDK (Integration Development Kit) is a native UI SDK which provides customizable UI screens to integrate client apps with the Digidentity Platform. Using the IDK, the user is automatically guided through the required Digidentity flow steps using the existing look and feel of the client app. Once the IDK flow is complete, the user is returned to the client app with a result, making it simple for developers to make use of Digidentity services.

Smart card

One of the key technologies that the IDK relies on is a 'virtual smart card'. The smart card is a software authentication token which couples a user account to a mobile device. The smart card is stored in secure device storage and requires a PIN to be used by the user. The IDK supports a number of types of smart card based on the confidence of the subject's identity. Smart cards can be used for logging in, authorizing requests, and signing documents via electronic signature.

Authenticators

Authenticators are user-owned entities used to confirm a user's identity and perform digital authentication. The IDK currently supports only Smart card authenticator

Architecture

The IDK depends on the Digidentity SDK framework for low level tasks (such as data storage, networking, and security). While the SDK provides a basic interface to the Digidentity platform, the IDK adds to this using UI and UX layers which validate user input, perform dynamic navigation based on conditions, handle failure cases, and more.

Below is an example of how the IDK works when integrated into a client mobile app:

1. The app requests the IDK to start a flow or provides an input to the IDK (e.g. a deep link or a push notification)
2. The IDK requests the Digidentity SDK to load or store data, perform actions, etc.
3. The SDK communicates with the Digidentity Platform
4. The Platform may send push notifications to the app