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| CURRENT SECTION :: TechZone | UK's most visited IT Contractor Site - 250k unique visitors March 2008 |
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The future looks bright for those who struggle to remember their password as they log in to a particular website thanks to a rare tie-up between Microsoft and Google. On Friday, the duo set aside their rivalry to join Oracle, Equifax and PayPal to become the founding members of the aptly-named Information Card Foundation. With support from other A-list internet players, the non-profit group will push virtual replacements of physical ID cards, like a driving licence, towards the mainstream. Unlike cards in their wallets, consumers would be able to amend the details on their on-screen cards though; like the offline world, would have multiple cards. Central to this is the e-wallet, which would let users choose an icon for the card they want for a specific website, bypassing the need to type and remember any password. As the wallet is online, consumers could select their ‘i-cards’ from anywhere in the world, with enhanced security and interoperability with major sites as standard, the ICF hopes. “Rather than logging into web sites with usernames and passwords, Information Cards let people ‘click-in’ using a secure digital identity that carries only the specific information needed to enable a transaction,” said Charles Andres, its executive director. “Additionally, businesses will enjoy lower fraud rates, higher affinity with customers, lower risk, and more timely information about their customers and business partners.” The claims of enhanced security, primarily against phishing attacks, rest on the cards having a three-way system to verify the user’s identity before a log in or transaction. It is expected that the user would need to synchronise with an ID provider, like their credit card company, at the same time as with a trusted third party, like a financial or ecommerce site. Members of the foundation, including sites likes BackgroundCheck.com, said they would start on the “behind the scenes work that ‘real interoperability’” will require. Foundation member Liberty Alliance said: “Our shared goal is to deliver a ubiquitous, interoperable, privacy-respecting federated identity layer as a means to seamless, secure online transactions over network infrastructure.” Separately, internet-policy-makers in Paris decided on Friday they were ready to liberalise the Web by approving the biggest ever extension of top level domain names. Under the decision, TLDs can now be based on any string of letters, in any script, meaning individuals can set up sites ending in their names, and companies can do the same with their brand or products. The proposals, due to take effect from the second quarter next year, raise the likelihoods that capital cites and websites devoted to film, sport and sex will all win their own domain. Jun 30, 2008 Email this article Printer friendly page Previous Page
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