Documentation

Overview and Purpose

SWITCHverify enables organisations to issue digitally verifiable diplomas and certificates. The signature function included in the service is integrated into the administration applications of the organisations. Organisations can also integrate the verification function on their website for individual end users.
SWITCHverify reduces the misuse of fake diplomas. For organisations, the automatic verification functionality significantly reduces the manual required to verify diplomas and certificates.

Scope and Functionality

SWITCHverify consists of following two functionalities:

  • Forgery-proof certification of digital documents such as diplomas and certificates
  • Verification of the certified documents in seconds

The certification function enables organisations to secure the digital fingerprint of certificates and diplomas (hash value) on the Ethereum blockchain in order to  allow online verification of the documents. Organisation can also revoke documents if it is no longer valid.

The certification function is offered in the following two variants:

  • as a web application; as well as
  • as API for direct integration into existing ERP / LMS systems of the organisation (Enterprise Resource Planning / Learning Management System)

The organisation decides which PDF documents it would like to certify. During the onboarding process, SWITCH and the organisation will define the details of how to integrate the automated process of document certification of diplomas and certificates into their ERP / LMS systems.

In the certification process, the metadata of the documents are enhanced with security elements (e.g. a salt value) before the documents are handed over to end users (students). In case documents to be certified have already been handed out to end users, they can be signed in ‘legacy mode’ without enhancing the metadata of the documents. During the certification process, the digital fingerprint of the document (hash value) gets calculated and stored in the blockchain via API calls.

The verification function enables potential employers, universities, state authorities, etc. who are in possession of the document to verify its authenticity on the Ethereum blockchain in a matter of seconds.

The verification result essentially answers the following aspects of the documents:

  • Authenticity: Is the document unchanged?
  • Signature: Who certified the document?
  • Timestamp: when was the document certified?
  • Validity: Is the document still valid or has it been revoked?

The verification function can be embedded as a web application on the organisation's homepage (e.g. iFrame). End users can then drag and drop documents into the web application to verify documents. The verification is then carried out by comparing the digital fingerprint with valid entries in the blockchain.

Added Value using SWITCHverify

SWITCHverify allows the organisations to protect their issued diplomas and certificates from unwanted manipulation. Organisations can therefore protect their reputation and brand from the consequences of the increasing number of faked or modified diplomas in the increasingly digital world.

Administrative costs in connection with verification requests for diplomas can be eliminated by using SWITCHverify. Verifiers (e.g. potential employers) can independently, at any time verify the certified diplomas on the Ethereum blockchain instead of directly asking the organisation and thereby start manual verification process.

By using SWITCHverify, the organisation can position itself positively as an innovative educational institution. Thus, the organisation plays a pioneering role in the fight against faked diplomas by using latest blockchain technology.

The organisation's graduates' benefit from greater credibility in the job market, as their diplomas can be verified in a forgery-proof manner in a matter of seconds.

Potential employers can use SWITCHverify to independently verify diplomas in a matter of seconds without being tied to the opening hours of the education organisation. This enables them to significantly reduce the risk of incorrectly hiring applicants that provided manipulated or forged diplomas.

SWITCHverify Integration

SWITCHverify is integrated into the diploma/transcript distribution process within your organization. As the distribution process varies from organization to organization, we usually setup a initial conference call in order to explore the best integration option for your organization. Please contact us for more information about integrating SWITCHverify into your organization.

In order to certify diplomas and transcripts, we offer manual as well as automated certification options. In case your organization has a small number of students, we offer a web application where you can manually certify documents using drag'n'drop functionality. However, as most organizations certify diplomas and transcripts for hundrets or thousands of students, the certification process needs to be automated. SWITCHverify provides an API (application programming interface) as well as a CLI-tool (command line interface).

SWITCHverify API

The documentation to our SWITCHverify API can be found HERE.

SWITCHverify CLI

The documentation to our SWITCHverify CLI can be found HERE.

Verification iFrame

In order to allow easy verification of certified diplomas and transcripts, we provide a verification tool that can easily be integrated into the web page of the organization by using iFrame technology. You can simply call the following link within your iFrame integration for the corresponding language:

  • https://check.verify.switch.ch/?lang=en (for English)
  • https://check.verify.switch.ch/?lang=de (for German)
  • https://check.verify.switch.ch/?lang=it (for Italian)
  • https://check.verify.switch.ch/?lang=fr (for French)

The following list provides examples for such iFrame integrations: