Project Higgins lets users manage their online identities
Date of publication: 27/02/2006
IBM, Novell and Parity Communications are contributing software code to a new type of security program that will let people control their personal information online.
Code-named Project Higgins and managed by the Eclipse open source foundation, the project is developing software for "user-centric" identity management, an emerging trend in security software. It enables individuals to actively manage and control their online personal information, such as bank account, telephone and credit card numbers, or medical and employment records. People, rather than institutions, will decide what information they want shared with trusted websites that use the software.
"To move online security to the next level, there has to be fundamental resolve among consumers, government and business to quickly adopt a system where the individual has more control over how information about them is managed and shared," said John Clippinger, Senior Fellow for Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society where the concept was first developed.
As an open source effort where hundreds of thousands of developers contribute, Higgins will support any computer running Linux, Windows or any operating system and will support any identity management system. With Higgins someone could change an address across all their online accounts with a single keystroke; delegate who could see what elements of their medical records; or change a password across online banking and brokerage accounts.
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