Click here to receive your FREE subscription to Campus Technology
Features
Authentication >> The Power of Who
12/30/2004
As colleges and universities continue to sharpen identity management applications,
next-generation technologies are closer than ever before.
In the ever-changing environment of academic technology, it’s one thing to secure your enterprise network, but entirely another to provision it to control access based on a user’s identity. With this in mind, imagine a network that grants access to certain systems based upon who a particular user is; a network that requires users to sign in only once, and remembers who they are for the remainder of their session. Think of a network that d'esn’t require passwords at all; a network that ties all access to a USB key or the biometric codes of a human fingerprint. Then, envision a network combining all of these characteristics; so sophisticated it operates seamlessly with networks at other schools, and allows users access to similar systems elsewhere in the academic world.
Is the Future Here Yet?
Truth is, a network that manages all of these functions may not be so far off. Welcome to the world of identity management (IdM), where just about anything is possible. Once relegated to the far reaches of network management, IdM has exploded to the forefront of the academic IT consciousness. In fact, as security has become a bigger issue for campuses of every size, so too has identity. For two years in a row now, the Educause Current Issues Survey (irmppc.calpoly.edu/2003/Educause-TopIT-Issues2004.pdf) has listed security and IdM among the top five strategic issues facing higher education. Gartner (www.gartner.com) analysts estimate that growth in this technology sector will reach just over $500 million by 2007, at an annual growth rate of 15 percent.
“Managing identity is, hands down, the biggest part of our security efforts today,” says Ariel Silverstone, chief information security officer at Temple University in Philadelphia. “Just about everything we do revolves around this [technology].”
Many approaches. Indeed, since the turn of the millennium, institutions have taken various approaches to solving their IdM needs, including homegrown systems; large-scale, single-solution partnerships with leading vendors; and piecemeal solutions designed to address specific pain points such as passwords. As colleges and universities continue to sharpen their identity management approaches, however, technologies such as single sign-on logins, once perceived to be “next-generation,” suddenly seem closer than ever before. What’s more, at the behest of the Internet2 consortium (www.internet2.edu), academic technologists also are making huge strides to develop an IdM system that cuts across institutional lines.
Recommended Reading
- Moodle Gets SCORM Improvements, Security Fixes
New versions of Moodle have been released, bringing the most recent stable build to 1.9.3. The latest round of updates includes a number of bug fixes and security enhancements, as well as improvements to the SCORM module.
- Free 'Morro' Antivirus To Replace Microsoft OneCare
Microsoft is rolling out a free antivirus software program for consumers that will compete with products made by Symantec and McAfee. Code-named "Morro," the AV app is expected to be available by the end of 2009.
- Microsoft Demos New SQL Server Features at PASS
Microsoft Wednesday previewed the ability to centrally manage applications and resources in the planned upgrade of SQL Server, code-named "Kilimanjaro."
- Microsoft Unveils Exchange and SharePoint as Services
Microsoft exec Stephen Elop on Monday announced two hosted solutions from Microsoft--Exchange Online and SharePoint Online--which are now available to organizations of all sizes in the United States. The software, paid for by annual subscriptions, is hosted on Microsoft's servers and supported by Microsoft's channel partners.
- 6 Ways Not To Become Rote Using Instructional Technology
There are, in my experience, six strategies to consider with any use of technology that will guard against rote use of technology and facilitate critical analysis of teaching and learning effectiveness. In this article, I'll share with you the checklist I work with and encourage others to work with in learning about and using new technology.
- Bringing Student Web "Stuff" to Campus Enterprise Systems
How can an institution incorporate Web 2.0 learning opportunities for students, and evidence of learning from those opportunities, into existing campus technologies and processes? PlugJam is providing part of the answer.
