XML security isn't all about shady crackers, malicious code and computer crime for profit -- not yet anyway. Instead it's about removing complexity and remedying performance degradation introduced by hefty authentication methods, experts and users said at XML Conference & Exposition 2004.

Access control is a security issue as well if enterprises decide to expose their Web services across the firewall to partners, suppliers and customers. O'Neill said enterprises should restrict the consumption and exposure of Web services to closed user groups. Using authentication technologies like digital signatures and public key infrastructure, and standards like SAML, companies can open their services in a paradigm similar to an XML-based virtual private network.

By Michael S. Mimoso at Search Web Services.

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