National Authentication Framework Implementation Study

The move towards e-government has seen many institutions put special focus on the need for security, especially that of authentication. Single-factor password-based systems have been proven inadequate in safeguarding online financial and e-government service transactions. Industry adoption of Two-Factor Authentication 2FA has also been piecemeal. To mitigate these deficiencies, the Singapore Government, in 2008, put forth a Call-for-Collaboration CFC seeking industry and academic participation in defining a National Authentication Framework NAF, with the dual aim of providing for a national-level 2FA system and broadening the market for authentication services, and, in so doing, provide the user with a better authentication experience. This thesis will detail, discuss, and compare the various token types and identity frameworks PKI, SAML, WS-F, OpenID, and Infocard that make up an authentication system, and make recommendations on the best combination of technologies, protocols, and standards that, when implemented, would not only fulfill the requirements of the CFC, but also position it well for future enhancement.