In The News

Federated Identity Standards -Confused? You Bet You Are

– Business is becoming increasingly virtual and decentralized, while real-time management of relationships with employees, contractors, partners, suppliers, and customers is becoming ever more crucial. Even within a single company, applications may reside on different platforms, in separate departmental security domains, in legacy databases derived from prior acquisitions, or (thanks to outsourcing) in separate companies. As gaining access to distributed resources becomes increasingly vital, the ability to manage identity effectively becomes a paramount concern.

Identity Federation Provides Greater Mobility for Internet Users

– User identity is an important issue surrounding the provision of Web services on wireless networks. Both the users and suppliers of Web-based services must be assured that identity-related data - including sensitive information such as credit-card details - are secure but also available when necessary. Identity is of particular importance in mobile applications because the user is likely to access Web services via a number of routes and using several different terminal types.

Identity's Federated Future

– Walk up to an ATM anywhere in the world, insert your bank card, punch in your PIN, and within minutes you can withdraw local currency from your own account, no matter where you normally bank. Aside from a possible service charge, the transaction is seamless. It’s the same as if you were at a branch in your hometown. That’s a federated system in action. Out of mutual self-interest, using simple authentication at the point of transaction, participating banks have agreed to trust one another to supply funds from their respective vaults. The banks remain separate entities, but the flow of transactions is shared, creating a federated network.

The Global Challenge; Agreeing on Standards for Sharing Identity Is Hard Enough Without Having to Reconcile Privacy Laws Around the World

– As complicated as identity federation can be for U.S. companies, globalization adds still further complexity. Privacy laws, in particular -- although easy enough to manage when doing business locally -- can become a thorny issue when exchanging user identity information across international borders.