Single Sign-on - Security

Security

In March, 2012, a research paper reported an extensive study on the security of social login mechanisms. The authors found 8 serious logic flaws in high-profile ID providers and relying party websites, such as OpenID (including Google ID and PayPal Access), Facebook, Janrain, Freelancer, FarmVille, Sears.com, etc. Because the researchers informed ID providers and relying party websites prior to public announcement of the discovery of the flaws, the vulnerabilities were corrected, and there have been no security breaches reported.

The problem we see now is that many websites are adopting Facebook’s “Connect” and OpenID to allow for one-click logins to access a website. You sometimes don’t even have the choice of making a separate account on that site, meaning you can’t “opt out” of these SSOs. Sure, your information stays safe with that site, but it’s also stored within a central database under Facebook’s control. While there’s nothing wrong with this, there’s just too much risk involved in putting all your sensitive data from all over the web into one massive identity bubble. —"Does Facebook Federation Have Your Best Interests At Heart?

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Famous quotes containing the word security:

    “It is hard for those who have never known persecution,
    And who have never known a Christian,
    To believe these tales of Christian persecution.
    It is hard for those who live near a Bank
    To doubt the security of their money.”
    —T.S. (Thomas Stearns)

    “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
    —U.S. Constitution, Second Amendment.

    “Modern children were considerably less innocent than parents and the larger society supposed, and postmodern children are less competent than their parents and the society as a whole would like to believe. . . . The perception of childhood competence has shifted much of the responsibility for child protection and security from parents and society to children themselves.”
    —David Elkind (20th century)