Specifying SSI over EAP: Towards an Even Better Eduroam in the Future

The Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is a popular protocol for authentication in (wireless) local area networks. The protocol is recommended for use in the 802.1X standard and has, thus, found widespread usage in (enterprise) network environments. One of its advantages is its flexibility: it supports multiple authentication methods. Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is a new approach towards user-centric identity management that promises users full control over their data. We are the first to propose combining both technologies by specifying EAP-SSI as a new EAP method. The integration of SSI to EAP entails several advantages: it eases roaming for users and provides enhanced security and better privacy protection. We will point out the advantages of our approach on the example of Eduroam.