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Information About

Windows Cardspace




Windows CardSpace, formerly known by its Codename '''InfoCard''', is a framework developed by Microsoft which securely stores Digital Identities of a person, and provides a unified interface for choosing the identity for a particular transaction, such as logging in to a Website . Windows CardSpace is a central part of Microsoft's effort to create an ''' Identity Metasystem ''', or a unified, secure and interoperable identity layer for the Internet .


OVERVIEW

When a CardSpace-enabled application or website wishes to obtain personal information about the User , the application or website demands a particular set of claims or a particular token type from the user. CardSpace then appears, locking the display to the CardSpace program representing the stored identities as virtual Information Cards . The user selects the card to use and the CardSpace software contacts the issuer of the identity to obtain a Digitally Signed XML token that contains the requested information.

CardSpace allows users to create ''self-issued'' identities for themselves, which can contain one or more of around 15 fields of ''telephone book-quality'' identity information. Other transactions may require a ''managed'' identity issued by a trusted ''identity provider'', such as a bank, employer or a governmental agency.