Contexts

Contexts provide another level of organization and are crucial for user management and data access control. Each Context represents a distinct space within a Solution, where users can be assigned specific roles and permissions using public keys. Every Context has to be assigned to a Solution.

Key Features:

• Public Key Assignment: a Context is defined by the developer (it could be referring to a specific app feature or area). Users are associated with a Context by registering their public keys through the REST API provided by PrivMX Bridge.

• User Authentication and Authorization: once users are assigned to a Context, they can authenticate themselves using their private keys. Authentication involves the verification of a digital signature, which is generated by the user’s private key, and verified using their public key stored in the Context. It is a seamless process for the developer, as it is fully handled by PrivMX Endpoint.

• Access Control: user permissions within the Context are determined by Access Control Lists (ACL). These permissions define the actions users can perform within the Context, such as creating, updating, or accessing resources like Threads, Stores, and Inboxes. The ACL model ensures that each user has appropriate rights based on their role and the requirements of a particular Context.

• Resource Creation: Within a Context, authorized users can create different types of encrypted resources:

  • Threads: Secure chat spaces where users can exchange messages. Threads are end-to-end encrypted and accessible only for users with proper permissions.
  • Stores: Encrypted containers for file storage, allowing non-sequential access and efficient file streaming.
  • Inboxes: Containers used for one way communication with external users, useful for scenarios like receiving encrypted data from web forms.

The diagram below visualizes the structure and corelation between Contexts and Solutions: