Web Commerce Security Design and Development

OpenID

OpenID²⁴ is an open decentralized authentication protocol that makes it easy for people to sign up and access Web accounts. That is, OpenID allows you to use an existing account to sign in to multiple websites, without needing to create new passwords. You may choose to associate information with your OpenID that can be shared with the websites you visit, such as a name or e-mail address. With OpenID, you control how much of that information is shared with the websites you visit.

With OpenID, your password is only given to your identity provider (IP), and that provider then confirms your identity to the websites you visit. Other than your provider, no website ever sees your password, so you don't need to worry about an unscrupulous or insecure website compromising your identity.

OpenID was created in the summer of 2005 by an open source community trying to solve a problem that was not easily solved by other existing identity technologies. As such, OpenID is decentralized and not owned by anyone, and anyone can choose to use an OpenID or become an OpenID Provider for free without having to register or be approved by any organization.

The OpenID Foundation is an international non-profit organization of individuals and companies committed to enabling, promoting, and protecting OpenID technologies. Formed in June 2007, the foundation serves as a public trust organization representing the open community of developers, vendors, and users. OIDF assists the community by providing ...