The people behind the
Firefox browser, the
Mozilla Foundation, released an experimental tool last week that could very well change the way people use the internet.
Instead of having to remember all of your log-in details, username and passwords, Mozilla's
BrowserID tool stores your multiply identities inside your browser. This in itself ensures that no third party
software has access to all of your details.
This piece of software comes at a time when the likes of
Sony and
Citibank have been hacked rather easily showing that users' credentials are often very poorly protected. Mozilla suggests that BrowserID is a safe and secure way to verify identity and would give users more privacy.
Mozilla's system is rather simply and useful, it lets users tie one password to an
e-mail account of their choice. This is then verified by sending an e-mail to the user with a link that is used to verify ownership. Then when the user visits a website that is supported by BrowserID, the site asks which e-mail they wish to use. Once the user has entered the address, BrowserID checks to see if the user owns that e-mail address, and either verifies him or her, or simply does not.
However, Mozilla will have to go through a lot of negotiating in order for websites to adopt the BrowserID software. Mozilla has provided code that websites can integrate in order to use the BrowserID service.