Identity management problems are the same the world over

Identity Management This newsletter is sponsored by Netcordia Network Downtime, the Configuration Error Are you missing easy ways to make your network more reliable? Learn steps you can take and tools you can use to avoid downtime. Network World's Identity Management Newsletter, 07/25/07 Identity management problems are the same the world over By Dave Kearns News from the hinterlands still travels slowly. I’ve just gotten word, from Agreon’s Brian Brannigan, of a conference held last December in Brisbane, Australia. Sponsored by the Queensland government as well as Australia’s National Consultative Committee on Security and Risk, the Virtual Opportunity Congress IV on Identity & Access 2006 focused on issues of identity management, access, security and privacy in the online environment. The event brought together over 100 delegates from government, banking, finance, health, transport, education, defense, social services and “other sectors of the economy where identity management has vital implications.” The final report of the meeting is now available online and it does make interesting reading. Among the key points covered are: * Emerging information technologies have created exciting opportunities in commerce, education and healthcare, but have also afforded new avenues for crime. Optimize Your WAN: Network World Shows You How In this Executive Guide learn how optimization can supercharge your WAN. Click Here * Identity protocols established in the past are no longer applicable as centralized controls are overwhelmed by the viral, unpredictable and anonymous challenges of the Internet. * Federated identity management and standards based approaches involving partners working together to produce common standards and protocols, may be the way forward. * The public's unwillingness to give organizations information is based on their fatigue with unnecessary intrusion as much as the fear of criminal exploitation. * Consumers demand security usability, certainty of Web site identity, the provision of sufficient information to allow swift decision making and a reasonable number of steps to navigate any particular transaction. There are a number of other points as well. The most fascinating aspect, to me, is that these are the same problems we see in the United States as well as in Europe, Asia and indeed, all over the world. It’s an affirmation that the “digital culture” is universal with some slight differences which might be dubbed “regional dialects.” The report includes very good summaries of the presentations and while not ground-breaking or earth-shattering, it does provide a slightly differing perspective on the same problems we all face. Downloads: Too often we take older technologies (like, say, LDAP) for granted without realizing that a new generation of identity professionals has little or no background in them. I’d like to point out two LDAP tutorials that can give the person new to directories the background they need. Brad Marshall’s Introduction to LDAP is a nicely illustrated, non-PDF (it’s all on one HTML page!) overview. The YoLinux LDAP Tutorial: Deploying OpenLDAP is more application and platform specific. While OpenLDAP is available for Linux, Unix and Windows, only the first of these is really covered. Both documents, though, include links to other LDAP tutorials and sites so that you can continue your education.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: 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. Kearns is the author of two Network World Newsletters: Windows Networking Strategies, and Identity Management. Comments about these newsletters should be sent to him at these respective addresses: windows@vquill.com, 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. This newsletter is sponsored by Netcordia Network Downtime, the Configuration Error Are you missing easy ways to make your network more reliable? Learn steps you can take and tools you can use to avoid downtime. ARCHIVE Archive of the Identity Management Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: security.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007