Extensible authentication management

A system for obtaining access to a resource, comprising:

• a processing unit;
• and
• a memory coupled with and readable by the processing unit and having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, cause a gate framework module to perform the following acts:
• providing a first request from a first user to access the resource;
• receiving a first gate and a first identifier identifying a first gate client;
• determining whether the first gate client is stored locally;
• requesting, if the first gate client is not stored locally, the first gate client;
• receiving the first gate client;
• presenting the first gate using the first gate client;
• and
• providing a first response to the first gate.

A computer readable medium, executable on a computing system, including at least one tangible medium and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer implemented method for determining whether to grant users to access a resource, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a first request from a first user to access the resource, wherein the first request includes client cultural information referencing a first client culture;
• determining an access policy that is applicable to the first request;
• providing a first gate included in the applicable access policy;
• providing a first identifier, from a plurality of identifiers, identifying a first gate client, wherein the first gate client corresponds to the first gate and is adapted to the first client culture;
• receiving at least a first response from the first user;
• and
• granting the first request if the at least first response satisfies the applicable access policy.