Federated Identity Management (FIM): Challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Federated Identity Management (FIM) is a method that facilitates management of identity processes and policies among the collaborating entities. It also enables secure resource sharing among these entities, but it hasn't been as widely adopted as expected. So, in this paper we have identified factors that are pivotal for a holistic FIM framework or model. These factors include trust management and trust establishment techniques, preservation of user privacy, consistent access rights across Circles of Trust (CoTs), continuous monitoring of collaborating entities and adaptation to unanticipated events. On the basis of these factors, we have presented an extensive comparative analysis on existing FIM frameworks and models that identify current challenges and areas of improvement in this field. We've also analyzed these frameworks and models against a set of attacks to gauge their strengths and weaknesses.