The release of the new eXtensible Access Control Markup Language (XACML) OASIS Open Standard for security under an open source license has been announced by Sun Microsystems. XACML, which is a specification for expressing policies in XML, aims to lower the cost and simplify the deployment and development of Web Services.

The XACML Implementation was created within Sun by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG). It is designed to facilitate and streamline enterprise access control. The code is also expected to make an impression on enterprise security and developer productivity. XACML should allow administrators to save time and money by reducing the custom coding and multi-language policy translations often necessary in the developer environment.

The release of XACML is not only a step forward for Sun in the security space, according to Larry Abrahams, director, Identity Server and Liberty, Sun, it should also be "very useful in creating an open source community around the technology and an important part in the development of future Sun products."

The Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) has also approved XACML as an open standard -- OASIS' highest level of ratification. The OASIS approval and the release of the code under an open source (modified BSD) license is expected to push for the adoption of the standard throughout commercial software development and open source communities.

Carlisle Adams, the principal architect, advanced security, at Entrust, applauds the OASIS approval, stating, "Governments and businesses will benefit from the availability of this code because they will immediately be able to incorporate fully-compliant XACML 1.0 implementations into the comprehensive authorization architectures they deploy. Entrust is very pleased to have played a major role in the development of this standard."

RL Morgan, chair of the Internet2 Middleware Initiative -- a group which provides support to over 200 member organizations by making advanced Internet applications secure, manageable, and interoperable, has also expressed his group's support of the OASIS approval. He comments, "Access control is one of our major areas of activity, and XACML is likely to be a key technology. Sun's XACML implementation looks very complete and robust, and we're looking forward to using it in key projects. We depend on open standards and open implementations, and applaud Sun for their commitment to both."

To download the XACML code, visit:

http://sunxacml.sourceforge.net

For more information on OASIS, visit:

http://www.oasis-open.org [...read more...]

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