The Higgins Project is an open source software initiative that aims to give users more control over their personal information online. It breaks down identity information into small blocks of data called cards, which can be controlled by the user and replace traditional password-based login systems. The project’s framework architecture allows existing technologies to be adapted as needed, and developers are encouraged to build their own components using the framework. The project also includes card management software, identity providers, and support for various identity management protocols and technologies.
The Higgins Project is an open source software initiative aimed at giving individuals more control over how their information is used online. Its goal is to create a new software layer that can be built and expanded with other components and adapters. The project breaks down identity information into small blocks of data, known as cards, that can be controlled by a user and are intended to replace traditional password-based login systems. Developers associated with the project are building software components based on the framework and encouraging others to build support for Higgins into their applications and services. The project’s framework architecture allows existing technologies to be adapted as needed, and Higgins is already compatible with several protocols and services related to security and identity management.
Initially known as the Eclipse Trust Framework, the project is now known by several names, including the Higgins Project, Higgins Trust Framework, or simply Higgins. Its main goal is to improve a user’s control over their personal information by creating an abstraction layer, a secondary platform that other components can connect to. Developers can access this framework directly through the Higgins Application Programming Interface (API) or through service adapters and plug-ins. The team behind Higgins is developing both the framework and other related components. It is an open source project and developers are encouraged to build their own components using the framework.
A cornerstone of the Higgins project is the concept of breaking up identity information into small pieces known as cards, which can be easily managed by a user. This card system is somewhat similar to how people store information on plastic cards in their wallets. In a digital context, cards can contain information ranging from credit card numbers to personal details. Personal cards created by the user contain personal details such as login information, while managed cards issued by a trusted organization or company may contain financial information or other data.
One of the first areas of interest for developers associated with the Higgins project was card management software, also known as card selector. These selectors use a graphical interface to show the available cards to a user, almost as if he were opening a digital wallet. Browser plug-ins known as active clients provide a way to use this tab system with existing web technologies. Other card selectors run natively on a user’s computer or even mobile device. Higgins is also developing resources for managed card issuing sites, known as identity providers, and for employees — sites that rely on an identity provider for authentication purposes
The abstraction layer architecture of the Higgins project means that many existing identity management protocols and technologies can be used. Directory-based identity services, such as Microsoft’s lightweight directory access protocol and Active Directory®, can be supported as data sources. Protocols such as OpenID are supported as authentication methods and Microsoft’s CardSpace technology can be used as the source for a Higgins card selector.
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