The password is just the shared secret that
was agreed upon for demonstrating that is the person requesting
access to the resources entailed by that username is actually the
same person that originally signed up.
For the website, you are not your username and password. You
are a set of facts and statements that are relevant to the services
and data it offers. Usernames and passwords are just a means of
locating and unlocking your digital identity.
The absence of a
standard is not the
main problem with
relying on passwords
Credentials are
different from
identity
Credentials can
unlock access to an
identity
The Babel of Cryptography 55
This is certainly not the place for indulging in philosophical
discussion; however, it is worth pointing out that when we talk
about identityin the business and technical context, we intend
to use the term in the operational, as opposed to the essentialist
sense. A business identi?¬?es you not as the unique human being
that is you,but as the set of facts and privileges that are associated
with you and relevant to the scope of the services offered. If
you are ?¬‚ying in economy class and you try to check in at the
business class counter, the queue attendant will ask you for credentials.
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