OpenID with Strong Authentication

Shortly after our launch of TrustBearer OpenID, a citizen of Finland tried to use his Finnish eID (FineID) with no success.  We send a request to Finland’s PRC and promptly received a small suite of sample cards.  In less than 2 days of device coding and debugging, the FineID was added to the suite of supported devices.

This has turned out to be yet another great example of how TrustBearer Live makes it easy to tack on additional support without dealing with new software downloads and the headaches that brings.

If you run into any troubles using your FineID on our OpenID Provider, please let us know by contacting info@trustbearer.com.

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Update: We currently support FineID Version 2 in both the “eID” and “organizational” profiles.  We do not yet support Version 1 due to data model differences.

Using TrustBearer OpenID on Linux is easy.

Doing so requires PC/SC Lite: most distributions include this package, for example as “pcscd” (Debian / Ubuntu) or “pcsc-lite” (Red Hat / Fedora).

First install, then start the service with “/etc/init.d/pcscd start” (Debian / Ubuntu) or “services pcscd start” (Red Hat / Fedora). To use the TrustBearer Security Key, first download the drivers for the ASEDriver IIIe Reader USB from Athena Smartcard Solutions and extract the files. Run “./configure” followed by “make” and “make install.” You will need the PC/SC Lite development files, usually provided by the distro in a separate package. You will need to restart PC/SC after installation, then just plug the key into a USB port.

(Note: these instructions are for x86 architectures; using another architecture like AMD64 is possible, but requires the use of 32-bit versions of PC/SC Lite and Firefox, plus some more work.)

In an effort to improve user security and convenience with online applications, TrustBearer Labs has released a secure OpenID service combined with its TrustBearer Access software that eliminates the risk of using multiple passwords across multiple sites while providing a central and secure way for users to login. The system leverages authentication devices such as smart cards, usb tokens, and fingerprint biometrics to provide advanced security and convenience.

As with OpenID, TrustBearer’s products provide users with a clean experience using credentials and digital identities with everyday services and applications. It requires no middleware software but rather works through the web browser on Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms - making it instantly deployable. TrustBearer leverages existing authentication devices, including the already over 6 million deployed Common Access Cards and PIV smart cards issued by the US and foreign governments with planned support for a variety of other national and government ID cards.

OpenID is an open architecture identity platform that allows users to have one ID which they use across a variety of online websites. While still in its adoption phase, the OpenID standard is steadily recognized by industry leaders such as Yahoo, AOL, and others. There are approximately 10,000 web sites and services that support OpenID and its growth and importance will continue.

More information on OpenID with TrustBearer including information on obtaining a TrustBearer Security Key for use with OpenID can be found at:https://openid.trustbearer.com

About TrustBearer LabsTrustBearer Labs delivers adaptive and effective identity solutions by creating software that simplifies and extends the use of authentication credentials. With over 10 years experience in developing applications in government, consumer, and health care - TrustBearer Labs is a recognized expert in making strong authentication and security simpler and more effective.