Wave Systems Corp. (fka WAVXQ)

[Countryboy]

OpenID Built In Google Chrome OS?

ReadWriteWeb speculates that “Google Chrome OS [will] Feature Single Sign-On for Chrome Browser”. They cite some evidence in the source code. Some excerpts of the post:

In the code, a line references something being called the “Chrome OS login manager.” Essentially, this login manager will function as a single sign-on (SSO) cookie which will simultaneously log you into all Google services including things like Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Reader, etc…

That’s as much as we know for sure, but what is not clear is exactly how this SSO option will be presented to the user. We wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see you logging into your computer with your Google account the way you log into your Mac or Windows PC using a set of credentials you create during the setup process. However, in Google’s case, it’s easy to imagine a more web service like prompt on the login screen. For example: “Create a Google account” / “Already have a Google account? Sign in here.” Perhaps there will even be a “Remember Me” option so you don’t have to log in again, you just flip the netbook’s lid open. Of course that’s all speculation, but it seems logical.

Well, if this turned out to be true, this would be a major, major win for OpenID and the entire internet identity movement. Because guess what all the other browser manufacturers will do? Feature parity. It always works that way. And if implemented well, most criticisms of OpenID will have a chance to fall by the way side.

Even if Google’s browser implemented a clear preference towards Google as identity provider, as ReadWriteWeb thinks, at least some of the other browsers won’t, for competitive reasons, and feature parity works the other way, too.
http://upon2020.com/2009/09/openid-built-in-google-chrome-os/

Wave releases TPM-secured OpenID beta

Posted by Ken Y-N on September 14th, 2009 at 03:26pm
Wave Systems recently announced the release of a beta version on id.wave.com, a system that secures the OpenID identity management service using a Trusted Platform Module. OpenID is used by many services from Facebook to Google as a means of having a single global identity and single global password. By adding a TPM into the mix, from a consumer’s point of view they now have a more secure login procedure, reducing the risk of identity theft. For corporate intranets, they too can use the id.wave.com system for:
The CIO benefits by knowing that only authorized users and authorized devices are connected to the organization’s cloud computing services, whether internal or external.
This now fits in very well with the recent announcement on Open Identity for Open Government.http://blogoftrust.com/wave-releases-tpm-secured-openid-beta/402

Yahoo!, PayPal, Google, Equifax, AOL, VeriSign, Acxiom, Citi, Privo, Wave Systems Pilot Open Identity for Open Government

Posted at 4:10 am on September 9, 2009 by Don Thibeau
Gov 2.0 Conference - Washington, D.C. — September 9, 2009 — Ten industry leaders — Yahoo!, PayPal, Google, Equifax, AOL, VeriSign, Acxiom, Citi, Privo and Wave Systems — announced today they will support the first pilot programs designed for the American public to engage in open government — government that is transparent, participatory, and collaborative. This open identity initiative is a key step in President Obama’s memorandum to make it easy for individuals to register and participate in government websites — without having to create new usernames and passwords. Additionally, members of the public will be able to fully control how much or how little personal information they share with the government at all times.

These companies will act as digital identity providers using OpenID and Information Card technologies. The pilot programs are being conducted by the Center for Information Technology (CIT), National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and related agencies. The participating companies are being certified under non-discriminatory open trust frameworks developed under collaboration between the OpenID Foundation (OIDF) and the Information Card Foundation (ICF) and reviewed by the federal government.
http://openid.net/2009/09/09/yahoo-paypal-google-equifax-aol-verisign-acxiom-citi-privo-wave-systems-pilot-open-identity-for-open-government-2/

Wave Systems Collaborates on Open Identity Initiative for Federal Government

Government Unveiling Pilot Program to Encourage Federal Agencies to Utilize Open Identity Technologies in Response to President Obama’s Mandate for Greater Citizen Participation
Lee, MA — September 9, 2009 — Wave Systems Corp. (NASDAQ: WAVX; www.wave.com) announced today its support of the first open identity pilot program aimed at enabling members of the public and businesses to register and participate in government websites without creating new user names and passwords. Wave joins Yahoo!, PayPal, Google, Equifax, AOL, VeriSign, Acxiom, Citi and Privo in supporting this new pilot program as digital identity providers offering solutions based on OpenID and Information Card technologies.

The Center for Information Technology, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and related agencies will participate in the pilot program. Wave and the other participating companies are being certified under the open trust frameworks developed by the OpenID Foundation and the Information Card Foundation
and reviewed by the federal government. A joint announcement by both foundations was issued earlier today to coincide with the first day of the Gov 2.0 Summit in Washington, D.C.

“The Open Identity for Open Government Initiative, a joint mission of the Information Card Foundation and OpenID Foundation with the U.S. government, is one of the most significant steps in making government more transparent and participatory,” said Drummond Reed, Executive Director of the Information Card Foundation. “But with open access comes the need for greater security and privacy. Wave Systems is developing the ability to tie open identity technology into the trusted computing infrastructure. This will provide the basis for stronger security and privacy, and would pave the way for a whole new class of trusted applications.”

Wave has been developing a service which combines hardware security and open identities for secure, single sign-on for accessing Web services. It utilizes OpenID and SAML, open standards that allow the use of an existing identity to sign into multiple websites without creating new passwords. With OpenID, a visited website (relying party) communicates with an identity provider and that provider then confirms the visitor’s identity to the website. To date many sites including Google, FaceBook and SalesForce participate in OpenID as an identity provider, relying party or both.

Join Wave Systems for full demonstrations of the strongly authenticated identity service at the Digital ID World Conference in Las Vegas Sept. 14-16, 2009

Wave’s service is unique because it is designed to bring strong, second-factor authentication security to OpenID. By integrating its service with the industry standard Trusted Platform Module (TPM) security chip on individual PCs, user names are replaced by unique, user-protected digital certificates for stronger, multi-factor authentication between the user and service providers—ensuring secure digital identities across the Web. This integration with the TPM will also provide easier management for small- and medium-sized businesses whose employees access government websites.

“We applaud President Obama’s mandate to make government websites more user friendly, and we’re especially pleased by the decision to follow the framework of trust established by the OpenID and Information Card Foundation,” said Steven Sprague, President and CEO of Wave Systems. “The security of OpenID and Information Card technologies relates to how well authentication keys and credentials are protected. Using a Trusted Platform Module, Wave can now enable strong authentication for open identity technologies, designed to ensure that users have fast, easy access to government services with heightened security and privacy.”
http://www.wave.com/news/press_archive/09/090909_OpenID.asp