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Subject: Anonymity "Executive Summary" and pre-note
Dear SAMLers, I am the current 'champion' of the anonymity topic. I would like to hand over this role to someone else. As part of the possible hand-off, Jeff Hodges asked me to write up on anonymity and SAML. Since there is a fair bit to say, I've divided my discussion into this "pre-note" and the real thing. This pre-note includes a very concise Executive Summary for those of you who don't have the time or inclination to read the (really interesting!) longer note. Those of you who intend to read the longer note should read this pre-note first. In performing the write up, I've reviewed the discussions on the SAML list and I've done research on the web. In the note, I am by no means intending to be comprehensive about anonymity and related features e.g. unobservability. Rather am I trying to be relevant to SAML. Also, I'm going to focus on new or newly synthesized ideas rather than repeating design decisions that have already been made and written up. Here's the outline of the note followed by the Executive Summary. Definitions that Relate to Anonymity Pseudonymity & Anonymity Behavior & Anonymity Upshot for SAML (aka Executive Summary) Executive Summary/ Origin site authorities (i.e. Authentication Authorities and Attribute Authorities) can provide a degree of "partial anonymity" by employing one-time-use identifiers or keys (for the "holder of key" case). This anonymity is "partial" at best because the Subject is necessarily confined to the set of Subjects in a relationship with the Authority. This set may be further reduced (thus further reducing anonymity) when aggregating attributes are used that further subset the user community at the origin site. Users who truly care about anonymity must take care to disguise or avoid unusual patterns of behavior that could serve to "de-anonymize" them over time. ----------------------- That is it for the pre-note. Please read the real note on Anonymity in SAML if you are so inclined. Comments on that note are welcomed. Regards, Marlena
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