Shibboleth: A Project of the Internet2 Middleware Initiative

Abstract

Shibboleth, a Hebrew watchword once used to distinguish tribal affiliation, has reemerged as a brand name for a unique middleware authentication product. Developed by Internet2, a U.S. networking consortium, Shibboleth is a federated, open source authentication suite serving research federations and higher education. Shibboleth is a freely-available product, providing seamless access across multiple institutional platforms including: databases, data, internal documents, indexes, etc. Offering a single password sign-on, Shibboleth provides a secure gateway between users and proprietary resources.