Mozilla offers alternative to OpenID

Mozilla has been working for a while now on a new browser-based system for identifying and authenticating users it calls BrowserID, but its only this month that all of its sites have finally been outfitted with the technology.

Mozilla aims for BrowserID to become a more secure alternative to OpenID, the decentralized authentication system offered to users of popular sites such as Google, Yahoo!, PayPal, MySpace and others.

“Many web sites store extensive user data and act on behalf of the user. While the browser may be fully under the user’s control, many of the services that users enjoy are not. Sometimes, these web services handle data in ways that are of questionable value to the user, even detrimental,” points out Ben Adida, Mozilla’s Tech Lead on Identity and User Data. “It’s clear that Mozilla needs to step up and provide, in addition to the Firefox browser, certain services to enhance users’ control over their online experience and personal data.”

Apart from BrowserID, Mozilla is also looking to launch Boot to Gecko (B2G), a standalone mobile web-based operating system, and an app store.

As the BrowserID technology is finally ready to be implemented, Mozilla made available detailed instructions for web developers on how to do it.