Secure APIs with FastAPI and the Microsoft Identity Platform Transcripts
Chapter: Introduction to Identity
Lecture: What is identity?
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Before we move forward we need to understand what identity is. Identity is
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A set of characteristics or properties that can be used to uniquely identify a person.
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We all have multiple identities that are highly dependent on context at work. I'm a developer at home, I'm a dad and a husband and when I travel
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I'm a US citizen and so on. In the real world, proving your identity is usually pretty straightforward.
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You use official documents that are unique to you and can be used to prove that you are who you say you are.
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For example when I have to prove my age to buy alcohol at the store, I can use my driver's license or passport.
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The passport will be less common since we tend not to walk around or go shopping with our passports in our possession.
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But if I am traveling then I have to use a passport. The official documents have something in common and widely accepted authority that we all trust.
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A driver's license is a totally valid and acceptable form of identity within my own country
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And possibly when I visit other countries if I need to rent a car but it is not a valid identity document if I need to travel abroad or that when
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it's something that is accepted globally and carries more authority. a passport. So far so good.
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Now let's talk about digital identities in the digital world. We also have multiple identities and the process of proving who we say we are is
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far more complex. Think of all the user names and passwords. Two factor authentication apps and requirements,
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biometrics that you used to access your phone or other services, your Alexa, your google digital assistants and so on.
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Every single side out there needs to know who you are so that you can decide what you can do and it's hard to get all this right.
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So what makes up our digital identities? There are two distinct pieces of information that can be used to form a digital identity
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our digital attributes and our digital activities.
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Think of our digital attributes as our personally identifiable information that various organizations and companies need
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to store. For example when you open a new bank account or paying taxes,
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you need to provide different types of information that can be used to uniquely identify you
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Your digital activities are your online behavioral patterns, your social media interactions, your location, your browser, search history and so on.
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Now there is something to be said about privacy but that's for a totally different module Your digital identity is your currency on the web,
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everything or almost everything we do on the internet today relies on digital identities and that's why it's also a viable target for hackers.
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And the worst part is that we don't own our digital identities.
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It's the companies that we interact with that are the custodians of these identities and this is where most of the companies fall short. Every week.
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Another company makes the news as they fall victim to attackers that gain access to user
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data bases But afraid not because through this course we will learn how to build robust
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and secure solutions that can protect your users digital identities.