Mozilla Persona

Mozilla Persona is a decentralized authentication system for Web sites, which is developed by Mozilla. It allows a user, not again to log onto any website used by him with username and password, but to do this only once in Mozilla Persona. Then, the stored there identity data is used to log in to other sites. The prerequisite is that the respective websites Mozilla Persona support.

History and Mission

In July 2011, Mozilla introduced a new authentication system, then called BrowserID. According to Mozilla, the new system provider of websites should free themselves from the task of having to provide a separate mechanism for user authentication; this goal will share the system with other authentication systems such as OpenID or Facebook Connect. More, highlighted objectives were security and simplicity. BrowserID should be possible regardless of the browser used and protect the privacy of the user.

In September 2012, published the beta version of Mozilla BrowserID, now under the name Mozilla Persona. It works in all relevant at this time and both browsers on desktop PCs as well as smartphones and tablets. The encrypted transmission of the access of a user that is handled by the Mozilla Firefox Sync service, was also taken in the course of the beta phase in operation.

Operation

Mozilla Persona implements also designed by Mozilla BrowserID protocol. The BrowserID protocol allows a user to prove to a website, that he is the owner of a particular e- mail address; it pursues the motto " e -mail address is an identity." Personas security concept is based on an asymmetric cryptosystem and digital signatures. The login process on a website is as follows:

Differences with OpenID

From other authentication systems such as OpenID (or Facebook Connect), Mozilla Persona lifts according to Mozilla in different ways. First, the user does not own username, or an ID is provided. Instead, a user 's email address to authenticate to a website. Second, in Persona, as opposed to OpenID identity provider is not involved in the transaction log, so that a higher protection of the privacy of the user is ensured. Third Persona must be integrated into browser based on Mozilla by using HTML5 and JavaScript especially easy.