Explaining the importance of context in ID mgmt.

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: DAVE KEARNS ON IDENTITY MANAGEMENT
06/08/05
Today's focus: Explaining the importance of context in ID mgmt.

Dear security.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* Radiant Logic's founder discusses context in identity
  management
* Links related to Identity Management
* Featured reader resource
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WORST-CASE SCENARIO

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Today's focus: Explaining the importance of context in ID mgmt.

By Dave Kearns

Last week, I asked if an identity needed to be unique, and
answered that yes, it does, within a given context. That seems
like an excellent segue to a discussion of context and how it
relates to identity.

I can think of no one better qualified to lead this discussion
than Michel Prompt, founder of Radiant Logic (
<http://www.radiantlogic.com/> ) and the man who introduced me
to the vital importance of context. Prompt believes that
context-driven identity is so important that he's built an
entire virtual directory business around the concept and has now
patented the process.

Prompt's biggest problem over the years is that he is passionate
about identity, virtual engines and context. Unfortunately, the
more passionate he gets the harder he is to understand. He'll
lapse into a hybrid language that we call "Franglish" which
neither French speakers or English speakers can fully
comprehend. Once in a great while, Prompt will take the time to
set his thoughts to paper (well, virtual paper at least) where
some of us can hope to try to comprehend the truths he presents.

Prompt has allowed me to share with you an extended version of
an article that appeared in the April/May issue of Digital ID
World. The extended version titled "Virtual directory and
identity integration: The second wave" and subtitled "Linking
digital identities to contexts," can be viewed at
<http://vquill.com/prompt/> (or downloaded as a Word file from
<http://vquill.com/prompt.doc> ).

It is Prompt's thesis that for realistic identity management
"...not only do we need a formal, operational and simple
definition of what is an identity ('Who'). We also need also a
good representation of the situation, the context (the 'What')
in which an identity operates. Finally we need to know how to
represent, what an identity 'is doing' in a given context, which
means establishing a relationship at the appropriate time
between an identity and a specific context."

Context is important, and virtualization makes it easier. As
Prompt says, "If we exploit virtualization correctly, by
building an abstraction layer not only for objects but also for
relationships between objects we can derive from our existing
applications a world of information related to our identity. We
can understand how these different identities are linked to the
different processes, which are automated by a specific
application. We have found a way to link an identity to the
specific 'context' of an application."

Why is this important? According to Prompt, "By virtualizing not
only objects, but also relationships and metadata between these
different entities, the second generation of directory
virtualization is opening a whole new field of applications and
uses cases for the identity management space. This new
generation pushes even further the inversion of the paradigm
that the first generation brought. Rather than trying to
reconcile the whole world of applications with a rigidly defined
schema and data model the one size fits all solution, this
approach turns each application into a contributor, a specific
context publisher for the global enterprise tree. Instead of one
monolithic view of the world, we can have has many as needed as
dictated by the business contexts."

I've just scratched the surface of what Prompt wants to tell
you. Download and/or read the entire document yourself to begin
to understand the importance of context for today's identity
management projects.
_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Dave Kearns

Dave Kearns is a writer and consultant in Silicon Valley. He's
written a number of books including the (sadly) now out of print
"Peter Norton's Complete Guide to Networks." His musings can be
found at Virtual Quill <http://www.vquill.com/>.

Kearns is the author of three Network World Newsletters: Windows
Networking Tips, Novell NetWare Tips, and Identity Management.
Comments about these newsletters should be sent to him at these

respective addresses: <mailto:windows@vquill.com>,
<mailto:netware@vquill.com>, <mailto:identity@vquill.com>.

Kearns provides content services to network vendors: books,
manuals, white papers, lectures and seminars, marketing,
technical marketing and support documents. Virtual Quill
provides "words to sell by..." Find out more by e-mail at
<mailto:info@vquill.com>
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Good Technology
Network World Executive Guide: Wireless Security. New Standards
make it easier than ever

As wireless LAN technology reaches the mainstream of enterprise
IT, security continues to be the top barrier to adoption. In
this report, we detail the possible approaches to wireless LAN
security and talk to experts who provide analysis and
recommendations on which ones to use. Register today and get a
free copy of Network World's Wireless Security Executive Guide.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=106117
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS

Archive of the Identity Management newsletter:
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/dir/index.html
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Fischer International

Gartner & Fischer: Leveraging the Future of Identity Management
and Compliance Gartner VP Roberta Witty and Fischer
International CTO Steve Tillery chart the future of Identity
Management and Compliance. What should every business do in
2005? What initiatives should be put on the back burner? What
technologies will finally simplify compliance and reduce cost?
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=106074
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