User-Centric Identity Comes to Washington: Heather West of the Center for Democracy and Technology

As the federal government begins to pilot the use of third-party credentials to authenticate users at three websites, the advocacy group Center for Democracy and Technology this month has published a white paper, Issues for Responsible User-Centric Identity, raising questions it feels must be addressed before user-centric identity systems are fully deployed throughout the government. User-centric identity refers to systems where users, rather than service providers, control their identity credentials. "User-centric federated identity systems have the potential to improve the security and privacy of authentication and services for users, but if improperly designed, these systems can negatively impact users and become a burden instead," says white paper author Heather West, a CDT policy analyst. In an interview with GovInfoSecurity.com, West explains: How user-centric identity works; Who are the major players; and Why the government should not regulate user-centric identity. West was interviewed by Eric Chabrow, managing editor of GovInfoSecurity.com.