CardSpace to Aid Online Log-On

Better security and user convenience are goals of CardSpace (code-named InfoCard), a UI for user log-on and data submission to online services implemented in the .NET Framework 3.0. CardSpace could help prevent phishing thefts of user data and other threats that plague Web-based services today and which, if they continue to grow at their present rate, could shake users’ confidence in electronic commerce in general. CardSpace also provides a standard user-authentication component for the Windows Communications Foundation (WCF) Web services technology. However, few client applications support CardSpace today, and key support infrastructure will take time to develop.

Consistency for Online Log-On and User Data

CardSpace is a Windows service triggered by a client application (such as a Web browser) whenever a user needs to log on to or submit data to an online service. For example, the user of a mapping application might employ CardSpace to log on to an online service for map data or to submit a home postal code to the service. To log on or submit data, the user selects from a list of digital “cards” stored on her computer. (See the illustration “Selecting a Card with CardSpace“.) Each card represents a set of log-on credentials (e.g., public key pair) or a collection of other personal data that the user can submit to a service.