Providing a secure and privacy-preserving trust fabric for research and higher education institutions, and their partners, in the United States.

InCommon serves nearly 6 million end-users through federated identity management.


Three Services Added to Research & Scholarship Category

InCommon has approved three additional service providers for the Research & Scholarship (R&S) category: CarmenWiki, at Ohio State, the LIGO CBC Wiki, and the Penn State WikiSpaces. This brings the total number of R&S service providers to six (see the federation info pages for a complete list).


InCommon, Duo Security Offer Two-Factor Site License

InCommon and Duo Security are offering an easy-to-use, low-cost two-factor authentication technology that leverages users' mobile phones. Campuses can purchase a site license for this service. See the details and price list and read the complete announcement.


Two-Factor Authentication Ahead for Federation Manager

The Federation Manager, used by InCommon site administrators to update their organization's metadata, will soon require two-factor authentication for access. InCommon has chosen Duo Security's technology, which leverages mobile phones, devices that most site administrators already have.


R.L. "Bob" Morgan Honored by Internet2

R.L. Bob MorganInternet2 has bestowed its 2012 Presidents Award to R.L. "Bob" Morgan, co-chair of the InCommon Technical Advisory Committee, chair of the Middleware Architecture Council for Education (MACE), and one of the architects of InCommon. The award recognizes individuals from Internet2's membership for their exemplary service for the benefit of the national and global research and education community.


InCommon Launches Federated Error Handling Service

InCommon has launched a new centralized Federated Error Handling Service for use by all Service Providers (SPs) in the federation. The goal is to provide a better experience for users in the event that they are unable to access a federated service, which will help prevent them from becoming confused or frustrated. Read more . . .


Unlimited Certificates for All of Your Domains

Download our info sheet on the InCommon Certificate Service. More than 140 campuses have subscribed to receive unlimited SSL (including EV), client (personal), and code signing certificates for one fixed annual fee (for any higher education institution). This covers all of your domains, such as professional societies and athletic sites.


Of Interest

Archived May 9, 2012, IAM Online: The Emerging Legal Framework for Identity and Access Management. Roadmap for NSF Cyberinfrastructure
Working with Sponsored Partners Federation return on investment
InCommon Resources Book [PDF] InCommon Overview [ppt]
Software & Protocol Support All About Attributes

InCommon makes sharing protected online resources easier

InCommon eliminates the need for researchers, students, and educators to maintain multiple passwords and usernames. Online service providers no longer need to maintain user accounts. Identity providers manage the levels of their users' privacy and information exchange. InCommon uses SAML-based authentication and authorization systems (such as Shibboleth®) to enable scalable, trusted collaborations among its community of participants.

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Case Studies

InCommon case studies provide information about current InCommon Participants and how they are implementing innovative approaches to federating identity and access management systems. See our complete list of case studies.

InCommon Provides Platform for National Student Clearinghouse

Library info sheetThe National Student Clearinghouse and Stanford University successfully federate the Student Self-Service application. By defining the necessary attributes, the pilot has paved the way for other colleges and universities. [pdf]

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