So cool! Identity Management made Wired magazine’s list of 6 New Web Technologies of 2008! Well, yeah! All this disparate and non-standardized profile information floating around adds quite a bit of risk to one’s identity. The more websites we use, the less manageable our identity becomes, and more places identity thieves can exploit. Just how many birthdates, maiden names, and passwords do you have floating around?
Authentication has become a custom solution for most Web sites. Even Web browsers compensate with built-in functionality like browser-managed passwords/authentication. But is the browser the right place for this? Eh.
Foxmarks is a Firefox plugin that syncs bookmarks and passwords across many computers. I’ve been using it for about three days now … it’s password syncing feature is great. I’ve historically been resistant to centralized browser passwords for one reason: paranoia. Yet since Monday I’m a changed man. I’m more productive and things are manageable. No more duplicating effort on each computer. Passwords are in one place: Firefox, nay, Foxmarks!
Foxmarks syncs with their central server making that the center, not Firefox. Firefox, on all my computers, is just an authentication point with a copy from Foxmarks.
Services like password syncing (more like password AND username syncing) are a step in the right direction towards centralized identity. Concepts such as OpenID are long-term. Still, OpenID is far from the best solution and has it’s own set of drawbacks. Regardless, centralizing identity and authentication makes sense and I’m glad it’s being recognized with Wired’s shout to Identity Management.
Will access management and entitlement make the cut in 2009?
Others that made this years Wired list were lifestreaming, HTML 5, Firefox 3, Google Chrome, and Location Awareness (I love my iPhone).
Sounds interesting! Now that you took that jump, maybe I’ll go find that plugin.
Happy New Year man!
Thanks, Benson…have a good 2009!