The MODRNA Working Group is developing specifications to support Mobile Connect, an initiative by GSMA to enable secure digital authentication using a mobile phone number and mobile operator. The MODRNA WG is creating: 1) A profile and extension to OpenID Connect for use by mobile network operators to provide identity services. 2) Specifications for mobile operator discovery, client registration, and authentication to support Mobile Connect. 3) Additional specifications for client-initiated backchannel authentication, a user questioning API, and account porting. Four MODRNA specifications have progressed to the Implementer's Draft stage for voting, and new work is beginning on JWT assertion profiles for OAuth 2.0 authorization grants. The next

1. MODRNA
Bjorn Hjelm and John Bradley
May 2017

2. The Mobile Profile
• GSMA created Mobile Connect for secure universal digital
authentication leveraging OpenID Connect.
• OpenID Foundation MODRNA WG created to support this
evolution.
– Stands for Mobile Operator Discovery, Registration, aNd
Authentication
– Developing (1) a profile of and (2) an extension to OpenID
Connect for use by MNOs providing identity services.
– Serve as technical input to Mobile Connect development.
– OIDFs IPR framework ensures that all specifications can can be
freely implemented.
– WG members from OpenID community as well as MNOs.
• Deutsche Telekom, Ping Identity, Orange, Verizon Wireless, Telefonica,
Telenor, Telstra, GlobalSign.

3. Mobile Connect
• Mobile phone number as user identifier
• Mobile phone as authenticator
• MNO as authentication/identity provider
• Replace passwords and hardware security
tokens

4. Mobile Connect
Reference Architecture
2. The service provider requests the
authenticating operator from the API
Exchange.
3. The service provider makes a
request for authentication.
4. The operator selects the appropriate
authenticator depending on the request for
assurance and capabilities
1. The user clicks on a Mobile
Connect button to access a
service.
• SIM Applet
• USSD
• SMS
• Smartphone App
• FIDO
MNO
Service access request
Authentication
Service Provider
Authentication
request
Authentication
server
Identity
Gateway
MNO Discovery

5. MODRNA WG
2. The service provider requests the
authenticating operator from the API
Exchange.
3. The service provider makes a
request for authentication.
4. The operator selects the appropriate
authenticator depending on the request for
assurance and capabilities
1. The user clicks on a Mobile
Connect button to access a
service.
• SIM Applet
• USSD
• SMS
• Smartphone App
• FIDO
MNO
Service access request
Authentication
Service Provider
Authentication
request
Authentication
server
Identity
Gateway
MNO Discovery
1
2 3
Set up
credentials

6. MODRNA Specifications
• Discovery (openid-connect-modrna-discovery) - Editors: John
Bradley, Torsten Lodderstedt
– Dedicated discovery service
– Account Chooser integration
• Client registration (openid-connect-modrna-registration) – Editor:
Bjorn Hjelm
– OIDC Dynamic Client Registration with software statements (RFC 7591)
– Mandatory claims in the statements
– Signature algorithms
– Lifecycle management, e.g. revocation of statements/blocking of RPs
• Authentication (openid-connect-modrna-authentication) – Editor:
Jörg Connotte, John Bradley
– ACR values
– Additional parameters

7. Auxiliary MODRNA Work
• Client Initiated Backchannel Authentication (openid-connect- client-
initiated-backchannel-authentication) - Editors: Gonzalo Fernandez
Rodriguez, Florian Walter, Axel Nennker
– Mechanism to perform authentication (out-of-band) when there is no user
agent available and the authentication process needs to initiated via server-to-
server communication.
• User Questioning API (openid-connect-user-questioning-api) – Editors:
Charles Marais, Nicolas Aillery
– Mechanism to perform transaction authorizations.
– Define additional OpenID Connect endpoint (Resource Server) that RP would
use (server-to-server) to initiate transaction authorization processes.
• Account Porting (openid-connect-account-porting) – Editor: James
Manger, Torsten Lodderstedt, Arne Gleditsch
– Mechanism to allow the migration of user account from old to new OP.
– Protocol allowing new OP to obtain the necessary user data from the old OP
and provide every RP with the necessary data to migrate the RP's local user
account data in a secure way.

8. MODRNA Status
• Four Specifications moved to Implementer’s Draft vote (closing May
2).
– MODRNA Authentication Profile
– Account Porting
– User Questioning API
– Client Initiated Backchannel Authentication
• Based on discussions with GSMA, new work initiated on
Synchronous and Asynchronous JSON Web Token (JWT) Assertion
Profile for OAuth 2.0 Authorization Grants.
– Specification defines the use of a JSON Web Token (JWT) Bearer Token
as a mean for requesting an OAuth 2.0 access token in a synchronous
and asynchronous way.
• Next joint MODRNA – GSMA technical workshop planned for May
11-12 in Amsterdam.
– Focus on backchannel authentication use cases and proposals.

9. Thank you