The implications of OpenID

OpenID is a simple, elegant standard for decentralised authentication. This talk will discuss how the protocol works, and introduce two key problems which it solves.

The first is single sign-on. OpenID can be used to log in to multiple independant sites without having to maintain separate usernames and passwords for each one. OpenID delegation enables you to switch identity providers without losing your OpenID, preventing providers from owning your identity.

The second is light-weight accounts. Many applications (such as weblogs) have avoided providing functionality that requires visitors to log in due to the overhead to both site and visitor of managing these accounts. OpenID enables light-weight, throwaway accounts to be created and can hence allow new kinds of functionality to be explored.

OpenID is not an all-or-nothing proposal. It can complement a site’s existing account system, by allowing users to associate an OpenID with their existing account and then use it as an alternative to logging in with their regular username and password. Approaches for integrating OpenID with existing applications will be discussed.