Identity Management for Federal IT

AIT 672.001 - 73958 - Fall 2013

Time / Days / Where / Date Range
7:20 pm - 10:00 pm / Tuesday / Innovation Hall 133 / Aug 26 – Dec 18, 2013

This course provides in-depth description of the principles, concepts and technology of Identity Management. Topics to be covered in this course include the digital identity, credentials, authentication, authentication protocols, trust frameworks, cryptography and digital signatures, identity tokens (smart cards) and smart card based identity verification & authorization applications. Emphasis will be placed on the work published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as well as documents published relating to e-government initiatives.

Instructor: Dr. Ramaswamy Chandramouli (Mouli), Adjunct faculty at AIT Dept.,Volgenau School of Engineering, , 240-477-3447 (Cell).

Day Job: Supervisory Computer Scientist, Computer Security Division, Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD

Teaching Assistant:

Course Goals

1.  Obtain comprehensive knowledge of identity management principles, concepts and technologies

2.  Acquire in-depth exposure to Government E-Authentication frameworks and emerging Identity, Credential and Access Management framework through discussion of NIST special publications and FIPS documents.

3.  Learn practical deployment issues with regard to authentication frameworks such as PKI and Smart Tokens.

Resources :

1. Slides containing each week's lecture

2. References posted on the Slides

3. Additional Notes and Papers posted under Course Content

Lecture Schedule :

·  Week 1: (Aug 27) Identity, Authentication & Identity Management - Terms and Concepts

·  Week 2: (Sept 3) Government E-Authentication Framework

·  Week 3: (Sept 10) Federated Identity and Trust Frameworks

·  Week 4: (Sept 17) SAML & Identity Federation Standards - Quiz 1 Due

·  Week 5: (Sept 24) Identity Federation Standards (Contd..)

·  Week 6: (Oct 1) Federal Govt. Identity Scheme Profiles

·  Week 7: (Oct 8) Mid Term Exam

·  Week 8: (Oct 22) Introduction to Public Key Infrastructures (PKI)

·  Week 9: (Oct 29 ) Federal Govt. PKI Infrastructure

·  Week 10: (Nov 5) Federal PKI – Policies & Applications

·  Week 11: (Nov 12) Smart Cards for Identity Verification - Quiz 2 Due

·  Week 12: (Nov 19) U.S. Govt Smart Card Programs for Identity Verification

·  Week 13: (Nov 26) Role of Biometrics in Identity Management

·  Week 14: (Dec 3) Impact of Privacy Policies on Identity Management - Research Paper Due

·  Week 15: (Dec 10) Final Exam

Graduate Grading

University course work is measured in terms of quantity and quality. A credit normally represents one hour per week of lecture, or not fewer than two hours per week of laboratory work, throughout a semester. The number of credits is a measure of quantity. The grade is a measure of quality. The university-wide system for grading graduate courses is as follows:

Grade / Quality Points / Graduate Courses
A+ / 4.00 / Satisfactory/Passing
A / 4.00 / Satisfactory/Passing
A- / 3.67 / Satisfactory/Passing
B+ / 3.33 / Satisfactory/Passing
B / 3.00 / Satisfactory/Passing
B- / 2.67 / Satisfactory*/Passing
C / 2.00 / Unsatisfactory/Passing
F / 0.00 / Unsatisfactory/Failing

Although a B- is a satisfactory grade for a course, students must maintain a 3.00 average in their degree program and present a 3.00 GPA on the courses listed on the graduation application.

Grade Distribution

2 Quizzes (Take Home) – 20% (10% for each)

Research Paper - 25 %

Mid Term Exam (in class) - 20 %

Final Exam (in class)- 25 %

Class Participation- 10 %

Important Dates

Aug 27 2013 – 1st Lecture

Oct 8, 2013 – Mid Term Exam (in-class)

Oct 15, 2013 - No Class

Dec 3, 2013 - Last Lecture - Research Paper due

Dec 10, 2013 – Final Exam (in-class)

Academic Integrity

GMU is an Honor Code university; please see the Office for Academic Integrity for a full description of the code and the honor committee process. The principle of academic integrity is taken very seriously and violations are treated gravely. What does academic integrity mean in this course? Essentially this: when you are responsible for a task, you will perform that task. When you rely on someone else’s work in an aspect of the performance of that task, you will give full credit in the proper, accepted form. Another aspect of academic integrity is the free play of ideas. Vigorous discussion and debate are encouraged in this course, with the firm expectation that all aspects of the class will be conducted with civility and respect for differing ideas, perspectives, and traditions. When in doubt (of any kind) please ask for guidance and clarification.

Accommodation for Disability

If you are a student with learning or physical disability and you need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Office for Disability Services (ODS) at 993-2474, http://ods.gmu.edu. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the ODS.

Religious Holidays

It is our common goal to minimize difficulties for students of different faiths in terms of scheduling course assignments. It is the student's responsibility to speak to the instructor in advance should their religious observances impact their participation in class activities and assignments.
Calendar of Religious Holidays: http://ulife.gmu.edu/religious_calendar.php

Campus Resources and Policies

Information on Campus Resources and Policies can be found at the following web sites:

University Catalog: http://catalog.gmu.edu
University Policies: http://universitypolicy.gmu.edu

Respecting Diversity

The diversity of our student body can be an asset to classroom conversations and student learning. The George Mason University Diversity Statement can be found at the following URL.
Diversity Statement: http://ctfe.gmu.edu/professional-development/mason-diversity-statement/