Google would like to see your ID
Google wants to save users the trouble of remembering multiple usernames and passwords by letting other websites use its login system, the Identity 2.0 blog reports. For websites, the motivation is two-fold: They won't have to spend time coding their own login system, and they can tap into Google's growing user base. For users, the appeal seems simple -- they won't have to remember yet another username and password. (Only Google will see the user's password; the website will just get an "authentication token" meant to prove the user's identity.)
But Google's new Account Authentication system poses some troubling issues -- largely the same ones Microsoft faced five years ago when it tried to introduce Passport, a similar master password for the Internet. The debate back then was fierce, but boiled down to this question: Can we trust a single company with all of our online identities? Digital ID World notes an irony here: Microsoft, bruised by its past experience, is relaunching Passport as Live ID, which lets websites use any online ID directory, not just the one Microsoft currently uses to let people log into Hotmail and other MSN websites. Google's system, by contrast, only works with Google usernames and passwords. And of course, it makes Google the sole guardian of our digital identities. So: Are you ready to hand over your ID? Not a chance. I'd much rather be in control of the security measures that I use for any given website, as opposed to using a master password. It may be a boon for the lazy, but if you care about security, it's not very good at all. Stolen VA laptops ring a bell here?
They cannot be protected by the sites--note the recent government snopping bra-ha.
No, we should not trust a Single company for the username and password.
Instead of that the Internet Security Governing council should provide some multi level authentication (with strict law and watchdog for not stealing the database), that will really help, instead storing the username and password here and there. It solves somebody stealing the entire database issue also with all your information. Google seems desperate to expand it's sources of revenues. They are venturing in all the things and leaving them in beta phase for virtually forever. They are behaving like microsoft in 90s, copying the existing products and claiming to make them better but their future will depend wheter microsoft behaves like IBM of 80s.
There is already a system that does all this and it is great. Roboform has two versions and the one I perfer is called Pass 2 GO and works on a thumb drive. Now no one has all my private info as it is on my thumb drive. I have one master password that if someone took the time, might be able to hack but as far as I know is good enough for me.
I wouldn't be interested. What would make Google any different from big brother government having all your data. Even more important, when there is a problem with the system, will everyone be locked out. Should we trust the "yuppies" with our personal world...
Novell introduced a similar application called digitalMe well before Microsoft introduced passport. In fact Passport was Microsoft�s answer to digital me.
The Mac OS X Keychain provides the same convenience at the user level.
Google has a poor record of security and privacy. Whether its the "never delete" from gMail fiasco, the China-gate censorship (they are doing evil), or click-fraud reaching 30% of their revenue, why would you trust Google for something like this?! I would rather trust Microsoft on something like this as they do not have a bunch of 30 somethings running around jets in hammocks trying to avoid doing evil. Microsoft has practical experience in this area -- and they had a real hard time.
Google has and will sell personal information, and all the information is stores is under US law. Really, I don't want my passwords stored inder US law
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