Windows CardSpace

Windows CardSpace (formerly InfoCard ) is a component of the Microsoft. NET Framework. CardSpace is a technology for identity management and can be used for authentication and / or identification against websites and web services. She could never prevail on a broad front, and finally had to admit defeat to the dissemination of other technologies. Microsoft released 15 February 2011, the development work on the next version 2.0. On Windows Vista and Windows 7 CardSpace is included in Windows XP, it can be installed later by updating to the last. NET Framework version. For other operating systems such as Apple's Mac OS X or Unix derivatives there are alternative implementations, which are usually referred to with the term Information Card or Info Card.

The CardSpace technology to the end user (and company employees ) facilitate to insure the identity to third parties ( relying party ). So far, it is usually so that you can on a web page with a username and password to log, for example (eg with a webmail provider). This method is error-prone and uncertain, since the majority of users use insecure passwords or passwords are sent over an unencrypted, so insecure line.

• 3.1 Alternative Identitätsselektoren

Applications

CardSpace is based on the analogy to the card ( debit card, membership card in a sports club, ...) in your wallet. The purse but may contain any money. Windows CardSpace, as found in System Preferences on Windows, functions as a purse ( Identity Selector) and is the collection of own cards. If you want to now log on to a Web page that supports CardSpace ( in the open source area often referred to as Information Card ), you click on a particular link and there will be prompted to select one of their own cards and submit. If the operation is successful and with the transmitted map all right, you are now logged in to the site to have typed in without a password ( CardSpace also provides your wallet with a password, fingerprint or smartcard locally on your own computer to protect ).

Maps

There are two different types of cards:

• Self-issued cards (self -issued card, also called self- asserted card )
• Managed cards (managed card )

A map is generally always:

In the first versions of CardSpace, the service could only be used with SSL certificates. However, since too large (and often economic) represents certificates for private use in weblogs and online communities hurdle it's version 3.5 now possible CardSpace also to use without SSL certificate.

Self- issued cards

Self- issued cards can be used, as the name implies, manufactured by you. The self-issued cards contain a fixed set of attributes ( called claims ), such as ( first and last name, email address, postal address, ...).

For most cases range from self-issued cards. The analogy with the username / password combination is close to the extreme where one chooses, this usually also free. But in any company you want to ensure that only employees have access to certain areas, for this case there is the managed cards.

Managed cards

Managed cards can contain any attributes ( claims). This sets the issuing entity ( Identity Provider, such as a company or a government agency ). For example, set the claim " department " a company, so that only the HR department to the area receives applications within an enterprise access. Also conceivable would map a state which a date of birth and derived from the age of the owner insure, so that one could order movies in the online shop, for example, having to perform without an additional proof of age ( compare PostIdent ).