David Recordon just posted a simple draft OpenID specification enabling OpenID relying parties to request that a phishing-resistant authentication method be used by the OpenID provider and for providers to inform relying parties whether a phishing-resistant authentication method, such as Windows CardSpace, was used. This is a major step forward in fulfilling the promise of the JanRain/Microsoft/Sxip Identity/VeriSign OpenID/Windows CardSpace collaboration announcement introduced by Bill Gates and Craig Mundie at the RSA Security Conference this year.
In his post “Bringing Useful Scalable Security to OpenID†David wrote:
The integration cost of OpenID as a Relying Party is extremely low, the technology is free and as Brian Ellin and I showed at Web 2.0 Expo the time commitment is also low due to a lot of great Open Source code out there which takes care of the heavy lifting. So now the RP has successfully integrated OpenID and removed the need for new users to create yet another password for their site, though they no longer have the control over the strength of a user’s authentication process. The RP may be a simple Web 2.0 site and not care beyond that the user has a password, it may store marginally sensitive information and want to make sure that the Provider did something to help protect the user from common phishing attacks, or maybe it’s a site which has truly sensitive information and wants to make sure that a second-factor device, such as a VIP token, was used.
With the OpenID Provider Authentication Policy Extension that I just published, this is now possible. This extension to OpenID 1.1 and 2.0 allows Relying Parties to express preferences around the authentication, such as “use technology which is phishing resistant” (stemming from the collaboration announcement at the RSA conference earlier in the year), for the Provider to inform the user of the request, guide them through the authentication process, and then inform the Relying Party what happened. By taking advantage of existing specifications from the likes of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Providers can also convey information as to the strength of a password or combination of a password and digital certificate or hardware device used. While the high-end of the specification may be beyond the uses of OpenID today, it certainly fulfills the scalable security vision that we have. Through this specification not only can I now strongly protect my OpenID identity, but let others know that I’m doing so and truly take advantage of a reduction in credentials needed when browsing the web.
I can’t wait to use the implementations that are sure to follow shortly!
5 Comments » Posted under Documentation & OpenID & Phishing Resistance & Specifications & Windows CardSpace
5 Responses to “Phishing-Resistant Authentication Specification Ready”
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Mike Jones: self-issued » MyOpenID adds Information Card Support on 18 Oct 2007 at 4:07 am #
[…] in my mind: connecting their new Information Card support with their existing support for the draft OpenID phishing-resistant authentication specification. This is another significant step in fulfilling the promise of the JanRain/Microsoft/Sxip […]
Mike Jones: self-issued » User-Centric Identity Interop at Catalyst in Barcelona on 02 Dec 2007 at 2:02 pm #
[…] providers implementing the OpenID phishing-resistant authentication specification using Information Cards to enable phishing-resistant sign-in to OpenIDs, […]
Mike Jones: self-issued » Microsoft Joins the OpenID Foundation and its Board of Directors on 07 Feb 2008 at 7:37 am #
[…] OpenID Phishing-Resistant Authentication Specification was developed and published in […]
Mike Jones: self-issued » Gone Phishing on 26 May 2008 at 2:58 am #
[…] are working on finishing the OpenID Provider Authentication Policy Extension (PAPE) extension. As I wrote when the first draft was published, PAPE enables “OpenID relying parties to request that a […]
New York Times seriously confused about identity management « Random Oracle on 12 Aug 2008 at 2:10 am #
[…] to authenticate the user; this decision is outside the scope of OpenID. In fact one of the more hyped extensions to the protocol, added at the urging of MSFT which has been desperately trying to promote CardSpace, is a way for […]