Abstract
The broad aim of identity management (IdM) is to manage the resources of an organization (such as files, records, data, and communication infrastructure and services) and to control and manage access to those resources in an efficient and accurate way. Consequently, identity management is both a technical and process-orientated concept. The concept of IdM has begun to be applied in identities-related applications in enterprises, governments, and Web services since 2002. As the integration of heterogeneous wireless networks becomes a key issue in towards the next generation (NG) networks, IdM will be crucial to the success of NG wireless networks. A number of issues, such as mobility management, multi-provider and securities require the corresponding solutions in terms of user authentication, access control, and so forth. IdM in NG wireless networks is about managing the digital identity of a user and ensuring that users have fast, reliable, and secure access to distributed resources and services of an next generation network (NGN) and the associated service providers, across multiple systems and business contexts.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Context: Context can refer to the type of transaction or organisation that the entity is identifying itself as well as the manner that the transaction is made.
User Terminal: The user terminal is the device that is used by an end user to access the services provided by the NG wireless networks.
Profile: A profile consists of data needed to provide services to users once their identity has been verified.
Digital Identity: Digital identity is the means that an entity can use to identify themselves in a digital world (i.e., data that can be transferred digitally, over a network, file, etc.).
Access Control: Access control is used to determine what a user can or cannot do in a particular context.
Identity: The identity of an individual is the set of information known about that person.
Authorization: Authorisation is the process of granting access to a service or information based on a user’s role in an organisation.
User: A user refers to a person or entity with authorised access.
Authentication: Authentication is the process by which an entity provides its identity to another party, for example, by showing photo ID to a bank teller or entering a password on a computer system.
Auditing and Reporting: Auditing and reporting involves the creation and keeping of records, whether for business reasons (e.g., customer transactions), but also for providing a “trail” in the event that the system is compromised or found faulty.
Network Operator: Network operator is defined as a legal entity that operates, deploys, and maintains network infrastructure.