BKIMCTAS.RVW   20110326

"Identity Management: Concepts, Technologies, and Systems", Elisa
Bertino/Kenji Takahashi, 2011, 978-1-60807-039-8
%A   Elisa Bertino
%A   Kenji Takahashi
%C   685 Canton St., Norwood, MA   02062
%D   2011
%G   978-1-60807-039-8 1-60807-039-5
%I   Artech House/Horizon
%O   800-225-9977 fax: +1-617-769-6334 artech@artech-house.com
%O  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1608070395/robsladesinterne
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1608070395/robsladesinte-21
%O   http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/1608070395/robsladesin03-20
%O   Audience i- Tech 2 Writing 1 (see revfaq.htm for explanation)
%P   196 p.
%T   "Identity Management: Concepts, Technologies, and Systems"

Chapter one, the introduction, is a review of general identity related
issues.  The definition of identity management, in chapter two, is
thorough and detailed, covering the broad range of different types and
uses of identities, the various loci of control, the identity
lifecycle (in depth), and a very effective technical definition of
privacy.  (The transactional attribute is perhaps defined too
narrowly, as it could relate to non-commercial activities.) 
"Fundamental technologies and processes" addresses credentials, PKI
(Public Key Infrastructure), single sign-on, Kerberos, privacy, and
anonymous systems in chapter three.  The level of detail varies: most
of the material is specific with limited examples, while attribute
federation is handled quite abstractly.  Chapter four turns to
standards and systems, reviewing SAML (Security Assertion Markup
Language), Web Services Framework, OpenID, Information Card-Based
Identity Management (IC-IDM), interoperability, other prototypes,
examples, and projects, with an odd digression into the fundamental
confidentiality, integrity, and availability concepts.  Challenges are
noted in chapter five, briefly examining usability, access control,
privacy, trust management, interoperability (from the human, rather
than machine, perspective, particularly expectations, experience, and
jargon), and finally biometrics.

This book raises a number of important questions, and mentions many
new areas of work and development.  For experienced security
professionals needing to move into this area as a new field, it can
serve as an introduction to the topics which need to be discussed. 
Those looking for assistance with an identity management project will
probably need to look elsewhere.

copyright, Robert M. Slade   2011     BKIMCTAS.RVW   20110326