System and method for enterprise authentication

A method for adaptively authenticating a subject, said method to adaptively cooperate with a tiered management system, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing for the receipt of configuration information from the tiered management system;
• providing for the authentication of the subject based on the configuration information;
• and
• providing for the association of at least one signed principal with the subject upon the successful authentication of the subject.

A method for adaptively authenticating a subject, said method adapted to cooperate with a security provider interface hierarchy and a tiered management system, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing for the receipt of configuration information from the tiered management system;
• providing for the implementation of an authentication interface adapted to extend and implement at least a portion of the security provider hierarchy;
• providing for the authentication of the subject when so directed by the authentication interface and according to the configuration information;
• and
• providing for the association of a signed principal with the subject upon the successful authentication of the subject.

A method for adaptively authenticating a subject in response to an authentication request, comprising the steps of:

• providing for the receipt of authentication information from the request;
• providing the authentication information to at least one authentication provider;
• allowing the at least one authentication provider to authenticate the subject based on the authentication information;
• and
• providing for the association of a signed principal with the subject upon each successful authentication of the subject.

A method for adaptively authenticating a subject, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing for the implementation of an authentication interface adapted to extend and implement at least a portion of a security provider interface hierarchy;
• providing for receipt of authentication information from one of (1) an application and (2) a container;
• providing for the authentication of the subject based on the authentication information when directed to do so by the application or the container;
• providing for the association of a signed principal with the subject upon the successful authentication of the subject.

A system for adaptively authenticating a subject, comprising:

• a modular security framework;
• and
• an authentication provider coupled to the framework;
• a login module coupled to the authentication provider, the login module to authenticate the subject under the direction of the authentication provider, wherein the login module associates a principal with the subject if authentication of the subject is successful;
• a principal validator coupled to the authentication provider, the principal validator to sign the principal;
• and
• a management provider to provide configuration information to the authentication provider.

A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor cause a system to:

• implement a authentication interface adapted to extend and implement at least a portion of a security provider interface hierarchy;
• authenticate a subject when so directed by the authentication interface;
• and
• associate a signed principal with the subject upon the successful authentication of the subject.