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BaseCAMP
Grab Your Backpack. InCommon BaseCAMP 2026 is Here — and the Terrain Has Changed
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRegistration for InCommon BaseCAMP 2026 is open, and we’ve changed things up this year with new formats, new sessions, and one of our strongest programs yet. Whether you’re sending a new staff member, bringing your whole team, or attending BaseCAMP to boost your identity and access management (IAM) skills, here’s what we have planned for you this year. BaseCAMP 2026 June 1–5 | Virtual | Half-Day Sessions Understand the IAM landscape. Meet the people shaping it. Start your journey. Register for BaseCAMP 2026 What’s on the Trail in 2026 This is only a small taste of what’s on the docket […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
eduroam Administrators Survey Discussion: User Education is a Major Challenge
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMarch 24, 2026
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Catalyst to Catalyst (Spring 2026): Ideas and Insights from InCommon Catalysts
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Community Gatherings, Conferences, & Events
From Barriers to Best Practices: What We Learned from Our Community Conversation on Federated Identity in Academic Libraries
Reading Time: < 1 minuteLibrarians and identity and access management (IAM) practitioners are solving the same problem; they just don’t know it yet. That was the impetus behind the March 3, 2026, InCommon Thread Meetup, where library staff, IAM teams, federation operators, and content vendors came together to talk honestly about why federated identity adoption in academic libraries remains so low. Want to be a part of the conversation? Join us for the next InCommon Thread Meetup. See Upcoming Thread Meetups The Access Problem is Bigger Than You Might Think The discussion began with Amanda Ferrante, principal product manager of Identity & Access Management […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Welcoming Visitors Might Be Easier Than Supporting Users: Preliminary Results from the eduroam Administrator Survey
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBy Mary Bull, eduroam Technical Service Manager In early 2026, eduroam U.S. distributed a survey to eduroam administrators asking how eduroam is deployed at their institutions. The survey was developed by a working group convened by the eduroam Advisory Committee to gather information for an upcoming rewrite of the eduroam Best Practices Guide. First published in 2020, the eduroam Best Practices guide is a set of recommendations for implementing eduroam in the U.S. March 2026 IAM Online eduroam Administrators Survey Discussion: User Education is a Major Challenge Join us on March 18, 2026, at 1 p.m. ET to learn more […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Beyond the Login: Why Identity Proofing Matters More Than Ever in Higher Education
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIf your institution can’t confidently verify who’s accessing its systems, everything else you secure is subject to breach. That’s the challenge more campuses are facing now. Fraud is getting more sophisticated. Federal expectations are rising. And the question for many institutions is no longer whether identity proofing matters, but how quickly they can refine their practice and increase the rigor of identity assurance. That’s where Internet2 and InCommon come in. Together, they’re helping research and education (R&E) take a more practical, coordinated approach to identity proofing and identity assurance by providing guidance, shared resources, and opportunities to learn from peer […]
ACAMP-2025
Advance CAMP Review Series: Bridging Capability and Capacity with Federation
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSignal #4 in our “6 Signals from ACAMP” Series InCommon is publishing a series of blogs to recap what we learned from the IAM community during Advance Camp at the 2025 Internet2 Technology Exchange. This blog is the fourth installment in the series. In late 2025, identity and access management (IAM) professionals from around the world gathered at Advance Camp (ACAMP) at the 2025 Internet2 Technology Exchange. Together, they led interactive sessions on a range of IAM topics, including federation challenges, learning opportunities, IAM architecture, and more. What is ACAMP? Advance CAMP is held at the end of every Internet2 […]
ACAMP-2025
Advance CAMP Review Series: Community Practice and Innovation
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSignal #3 in our “6 Signals from ACAMP” Series InCommon is publishing a series of blogs to recap what we learned from the IAM community during Advance Camp at the 2025 Internet2 Technology Exchange. This blog is the third installment in the series. In December 2025, identity and access management (IAM) professionals from around the world gathered at Advance Camp (ACAMP) at the 2025 Internet2 Technology Exchange. Together, the collection of thought leaders and practitioners led interactive sessions on a range of IAM topics, including commonly used tools, learning opportunities, IAM architecture, and more. What is ACAMP? Advance CAMP is […]
Community
Grouper: Welcome to 2026 and Thank You to 2025
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWelcome to 2026 from the Grouper Team. Currently the team is celebrating the release of Grouper version 6, a new release that includes User Lifecycle Events features and much more. Check out our Grouper roadmap and the Grouper release page. As we look forward to all that 2026 has in store for Grouper, we also reflect on what we accomplished last year. Taking in TechEX25 Thanks to all of you who participated in the Internet2 Technology Exchange (TechEX25) in Denver, December 8-12, 2025. TechEx 2025 was an exciting conference, and there were plenty of Grouper highlights, including : Along with […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
The Year Ahead: Insights into the 2026 R&E IAM Landscape from InCommon Catalysts
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFebruary 18, 2026
ACAMP-2025
Advance CAMP Review Series: How IAM Teams are Adapting Practices to Address Operational Pressures
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSignal #2 in our “6 Signals from ACAMP” Series InCommon is publishing a series of blogs to recap what we learned from the IAM community during Advance Camp at the 2025 Internet2 Technology Exchange. This blog is the second installment in the series. Last year, identity and access management (IAM) professionals from all corners of the world gathered at Advance Camp (ACAMP) during the 2025 Internet2 Technology Exchange. Together, the collection of thought leaders and practitioners discussed everything from trust federation to operations to emerging tools and much more. What is ACAMP? Advance CAMP is held at the end of […]
22 Leaders Join InCommon Steering and Advisory Committees
Reading Time: < 1 minuteInCommon has appointed 22 leaders from across the research and education community to join the InCommon Steering and Advisory Committees in 2026. These appointments strengthen the community-led governance that enables secure collaboration across thousands of institutions worldwide. Committee members contribute practitioner expertise that directly influences the tools and standards institutions rely on every day. “Technologies, cyber threats, regulations, and standards are constantly changing,” said Kevin Morooney, vice president of trust and identity and NET+ programs at Internet2. “One dynamic that has remained consistent over the 20-plus-year history of InCommon is the commitment and engagement of community leaders to help guide InCommon’s […]
ACAMP-2025
Advance CAMP Review Series: When IAM Security Drives Action
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSignal #1 in our “6 Signals from ACAMP” Series The 2025 Internet2 Technology Exchange (TechEX) has officially wrapped. From Dec. 8-12 in Denver, Colo., the research and higher education (R&E) IT community came together for a packed week of learning, networking, and connection. Once again, Advance CAMP (ACAMP) closed out the conference with a splash. What is ACAMP? Advance CAMP is held at the end of every Internet2 Technology Exchange. Every year, IAM professionals — from IAM novices to late-career IT professionals — gather to pitch their own topics, run demos of tools, and participate in breakout discussions. Attendees build the agenda live and […]
Internet2 Helping Campuses with Identity Proofing
Reading Time: < 1 minuteResearch and higher education (R&E) institutions are navigating increasing pressure from multiple fronts to establish robust identity proofing practices. Identity proofing is the organizational process of confirming that individuals are who they claim to be before granting them access to sensitive resources or credentials. In fall 2025, Internet2 conducted a survey examining identity proofing needs across the community. Several key use cases emerged from this research. How Internet2 Can Help Internet2 has long supported identity and access management (IAM) professionals by providing software, trust infrastructure, and educational resources that strengthen and improve the sharing of and access to resources. Identity proofing is […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Making it Easier for Researchers: NIH’s use of InCommon for Controlled-Access Data
Reading Time: < 1 minuteJanuary 23, 2026
Announcements & Notices
Trust and Identity Accomplishments 2018
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn this comprehensive report from 2018, learn about the Trust and Identity accomplishments and plans for the future.
Expectations, Practices, & Policies
eduroam Connector Agreement
Reading Time: < 1 minuteGet more information about the Internet2 eduroam Connector Agreement.
Expectations, Practices, & Policies
TIER Accomplishments by Thematic Grouping
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis report provides a short history of the TIER initiative, its accomplishments, some metrics, and financial information.
Expectations, Practices, & Policies
TIER Final Report
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRead theTrust and Identity in Research and Education (TIER) final report to investors from August 20, 2019.
Expectations, Practices, & Policies
InCommon Bylaws
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWant to learn more about InCommon? Please read our bylaws.
Expectations, Practices, & Policies
InCommon Federation Comments on NIST 800-63C Federation and Assertions
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis document provides the context of 800-63C and the nature of research and education multilateral federations.
Expectations, Practices, & Policies
Internet2 eduroam Acceptable Use Policy
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis Internet2 eduroam Acceptable Use Policy sets forth legally binding terms that govern use of the Internet2 eduroam service within the United States.
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
InCommon Certificate Subscriber Addendum
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe InCommon Certificate Subscriber Addendum will help you understand our position and ability to consider requested changes.
IAM Online
IAM Online April 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis IAM webinar from April 2021 focused on information about National Institutes of Health and identity management requirements.
IAM Online
IAM February 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis IAM Online webinar from February 2020 focused on community plans and priorities.
Expectations, Practices, & Policies
eduroam Terms of Service
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe eduroam Terms of Service outlines the minimum technical and behavioral standards for
SP-Only Organizations, Support Organizations, and Contractors, as well as their Identity Providers, Service
Providers, Constituents, and Users, as applicable, accessing or using eduroam through Internet2.
IAM Online
IAM Online June 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis IAM Online from June 2021 focused on one solution from three IAM approaches.
IAM Online
IAM Online January 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis IAM Online webinar from January 2021 focused on the NSF and campus cyberinfrastructure plans.
IAM Online
IAM Online May 2021
Reading Time: < 1 minuteLearn more about increasing identity assurance and improving NIH Readiness from the IAM Online held May 12, 2021.
InCommon Participation Agreement Review
Reading Time: < 1 minuteReview the InCommon Participation Agreement to help understand our position and our ability to consider requested changes.
InCommon Futures2 Strategy Report
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe InCommon Futures2 Strategy Report shares our potential to move the market segment of IAM forward in service of digital R&E collaboration.
IAM Tools, Software, & Solutions
eduroam Support Organization Status Report – 2022
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn this report, get the 2022 status updates to the eduroam Support Organization.
IAM Tools, Software, & Solutions
eduroam Support Organizations Status Report 2023
Reading Time: < 1 minuteCatch up on all the 2023 updates for the eduroam Support Organization in this status report.
Catalyst to Catalyst (Winter 2025): Ideas and Insights from InCommon Catalysts
Reading Time: < 1 minuteEdited by Apryl Motley, CAE – Communications & Technical Writing Consultant As part of our ongoing commitment to providing you with additional opportunities to benefit from the insights and expertise of InCommon Catalysts, we are continuing their quarterly Q&A column, Catalyst to Catalyst. We feature the column in our e-newsletter, InCommon News. Think of Catalyst to Catalyst as a quarterly virtual advice panel that provides perspectives on key identity and access management (IAM) topics for the InCommon community. In this installment, two catalysts discuss various aspects of identity governance and administration (IGA). This is our final column for 2025. How do […]
In Federation Security Incidents, You Alone Are Not Enough–With Sirtfi, You Are Not Alone: InCommon’s 2025 Cyber Security Cooperation Exercise
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBy Kyle Lewis, Chair, Sirtfi Exercise Planning Working Group In fall 2025, a grad student, Caroline Sweet, was recruited by the hacktivist group known as Stop All Robots. She helped them compromise the user registration process for a medical research team comparing the results of medical applications using two different large language models (LLMs) in an endeavor to leverage emerging AI technology. By the time she was done, they created a fake malicious account under the name of Real Diamond. They were also able to compromise the principal investigator, Dr Needsa Grant, and a number of the developers and researchers […]
InCommon 2024 Community Highlights
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWe’ve captured all the InCommon 2024 community highlights. Read the report to learn more.
2024 InCommon Year In Review
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe 2024 Year in Review showcases the progress, impact, and collaborative efforts that define InCommon’s leadership.
2023 InCommon Year In Review
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn 2023, InCommon began taking a fresh look at the InCommon Federation and Certificate Service. Learn more from the 2023 Year in Review report.
2022 InCommon Accomplishments
Reading Time: < 1 minuteInCommon in 2022 supported initiatives within the trust and identity services community through its infrastructure design, development, and work streams.
2021 InCommon Accomplishments Report
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThrough InCommon,
Internet2 provides identity and access management software and services, allowing the
research and education community to work together and solve common problems.
Executive Summary 2021 InCommon Accomplishments Report
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn 2021, the path forward looks positive for InCommon because of our commitment to collaboration and helping each other along the way.
2020 InCommon Accomplishments
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn 2020, the InCommon community demonstrated a 44% increase in support for scientific collaboration through research and scholarship.
2019 InCommon Accomplishments
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDuring 2019, 150 individuals from 105 different organizations participatedin an InCommon working group or advisory group.
Solving Research and Education’s Identity Proofing Puzzle Together: A Community in Conversation
Reading Time: < 1 minuteOn Oct, 22, 2025, InCommon hosted an Identity Proofing Thread Meetup to discuss the growing challenges of identity verification and fraud prevention across research and higher education institutions. The conversation underscored both the urgent need for standardized identity proofing solutions and the complex landscape institutions must navigate. Survey Highlights Prior to the meetup, InCommon conducted an identity verification and fraud prevention survey, which drew substantial participation, primarily from senior IT leadership including CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs across various institution types, with notable representation from R1 universities and community colleges. The survey identified several critical areas where institutions face identity fraud […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Bridging the Gap: Making Federated Identity Work for Academic Libraries and Their Service Providers
Reading Time: < 1 minuteNovember 19, 2025
Making Federation Work for Libraries: Four Experts on Privacy, Trust, and Quick Wins
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhy are academic libraries still relying on IP authentication when much of higher education has moved to federated identity? The answer isn’t what you might think. It’s not a technology problem; it’s a trust problem. This month, IAM Online hosts four experts from Duke University, EBSCO, and Internet2. The group will discuss why libraries remain hesitant about federation and what it will take to bridge the gap. Zhaneille GreenBio: Zhaneille Green is the e-access librarian at Duke University. In addition to leading local SSO implementation at Duke, Zhaneille contributes nationally through her work with the ALA Core Authentication Committee, where she helps create […]
Training & Support
ABAC to the Future: Loaders? Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Loaders
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn the identity management world, we get a thrill from new approaches that transform previously cumbersome processes. Before Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC), Grouper would load groups with structured query language (SQL) queries and lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) filters (also known as “loader jobs”). Over the years, many institutions have asked for dynamic groups “based on rows of data without negative performance implications” and “delegated management of loaders.” Grouper has had these features for more than a year, and your institution’s large lists of loader jobs can be upgraded to ABAC. The benefits and efficiencies of using ABAC are numerous. […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
MOREnet and WiscNet Join the eduroam Support Organizations Program
Reading Time: < 1 minuteStudents across Missouri and Wisconsin will soon have greater access to secure, seamless Wi-Fi through eduroam. MOREnet and WiscNet are now part of the eduroam Support Organizations program, bringing the number of participating states to 11. “The growth of the eduroam Support Organizations program is inspiring, watching people and organizations who urgently and passionately want to make where they live, better,” said Kevin Morooney, vice president of Trust and Identity and NET+ at Internet2. “The program’s momentum comes from the trusted peer community behind it, who learn from one another’s experience and solve new challenges together.” Read the full announcement on the Internet2 website.
A Message from Internet2’s President and CEO
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDear Internet2 Community, I am honored and excited to step into the role of Internet2 President and CEO. Internet2’s strength has always been its community-driven innovation, and it is a privilege to lead it into the next chapter. Recent advances in technology find us in a moment of transformative change for education, research, and indeed, for society in general. The consumption of information is dominated by short-form content like videos, text-based posts, and infographics. Generative AI is poised to fundamentally restructure pedagogical models, research methods, data analysis, governance, and general productivity approaches. Institutions are faced with pressures to avail themselves […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Raising the Bar: Introducing Baseline Expectations for eduroam
Reading Time: < 1 minuteOctober 15, 2025
InCommon Catalyst Facilitates Distributed Authorization Workflow for Volunteer Research Administrators Across the Globe
Reading Time: < 1 minuteCASE STUDY CLOSE UP The Morgridge Institute for Research is a private, nonprofit biomedical research institute in Madison, Wisconsin, affiliated with the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The institute contracted with InCommon Catalyst CILogon, a non-profit based at the University of Illinois to provide a hosted COmanage Registry for the Open Science Grid (OSG) Consortium. OSG Consortium is a distributed high throughput computing (dHTC) organization that manages access to a global network of data and computing resources shared across more than 70 institutions. The consortium worked with CILogon to implement a user registry to facilitate distributed onboarding, offboarding, and authorization workflows delegated to volunteer administrators across the globe. With nearly 200 […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Beyond Authentication: When Secure Access Demands Identity Assurance
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSeptember 26, 2025
Identity & Access Management
InCommon Survey Seeks Campus Input on Identity Verification Needs
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAre you wondering how higher ed institutions across the nation are managing identity verification and fraud prevention challenges? So are we. InCommon, powered by Internet2, has launched a comprehensive survey to understand how U.S. campuses are addressing these challenges. This initiative comes at a critical time when institutions face mounting pressure to implement robust identity assurance measures for addressing fraud concerns and accessing sensitive research data and other resources. The under 10-minute survey is open until Oct. 15. Why Now? The landscape of identity management in higher education has reached an inflection point. Federal agencies, particularly those managing sensitive research data, increasingly […]
IAM Implementation
Catalyst to Catalyst (Fall 2025): Ideas and Insights from InCommon Catalysts
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs part of our ongoing commitment to providing you with additional opportunities to benefit from the insights and expertise of InCommon Catalysts, we are continuing their quarterly Q&A column, Catalyst to Catalyst. We feature the column in our e-newsletter InCommon News. Think of Catalyst to Catalyst as a quarterly, virtual advice panel providing perspectives on key identity and access management (IAM) topics for the InCommon community. In this installment, two catalysts discuss the biggest lesson learned about IAM and the importance of the 2025 Internet2 Technology Exchange (TechEX25). This is our third column for 2025. What is the biggest lesson […]
Committees, Groups, & Boards
InCommon Community Service Spotlight: 5 Questions for Derek Eiler, Principal Systems Engineer, Nevada System of Higher Education
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWith the Call for InCommon Advisory Committee Nominations currently underway, we are highlighting some of our current volunteers from the community. (You can volunteer too! Submit your nomination by October 10.) Derek Eiler, MS, CISSP, principal systems engineer with the Nevada System of Higher Education, currently serves on the InCommon Technical Advisory Committee and is vice chair of the eduroam Advisory Committee. Learn more in the following information about Derek and his experience volunteering with InCommon. More About Derek Best Advice He Ever Received (& from whom): One of my first managers told me the best way to really learn […]
Community Gatherings, Conferences, & Events
Federation Day at TechEX25: Connecting the Dots in InCommon Federation
Reading Time: < 1 minuteInCommon Federation is hosting a new tutorial at the 2025 Internet2 Technology Exchange (in Denver, Colo., Dec. 8-12, 2025) – Federation Day – and you’re invited. Co-sponsored by the InCommon Community Trust and Assurance Board (CTAB) and the InCommon Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), Federation Day will bring together stakeholders from across the InCommon community to explore recent developments, challenges, and strategic directions. We’ll connect the dots between key efforts—such as assurance, metadata, attribute release, and technical tooling—and discuss how they support the evolving needs of research and education. Why Federation Day? Through the years, InCommon has built a strong foundation […]
IAM Online
IAM Online Speaker Spotlight: Beyond Authentication, When Secure Access Demands Identity Assurance
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIf your institution collaborates with federal agencies on research or other initiatives, you’re familiar with the balance required between robust security and practical implementation. After an extensive analysis and review, a clear and documented approach is now available for decision-makers to confidently evaluate their identity proofing needs. On Sept. 24, you can get guidance on the REFEDS Assurance Framework by attending IAM Online. Learn how it meets federal security requirements and how it fits into your institutional operations. In the September IAM Online webinar, join Tom Barton from Internet2 and Kyle Lewis from Research Data and Communication Technologies Corp (RDCT), […]
Cybersecurity & Next-Gen Security
InCommon Hosts Fourth Annual Cybersecurity Cooperation Exercise This Fall
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs part of its ongoing effort to increase cross-federation levels of trust in cybersecurity, InCommon is hosting its fourth annual Sirtfi cybersecurity cooperation exercise this fall. Sirtfi (Security Incident Response Trust Framework for Federated Identity) is part of InCommon’s baseline expectations. The event is open to InCommon participants and eduGAIN partners, who will practice coordinating a response to a federated security incident by running a multi-organization, federated incident response exercise. Sirtfi-compliant organizations* interested in their federated identity providers (IdPs) and/or service providers (SPs) participating in this exercise should complete the expression of interest form by Sept. 30, 2025. The exercise […]
IAM Online
5 Considerations for Navigating Hybrid IAM and Entra ID Implementation
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn early August InCommon community members gathered for a Thread Meetup, “Navigating Hybrid Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Entra ID Implementation.” InCommon community members are at different phases of their Entra ID deployments and have exchanged insights about challenges and successes. The key takeaway is that organizations shouldn’t view this as an either/or decision between traditional and cloud identity systems, but rather as a strategic integration of both approaches. The institutions furthest along in their journey emphasized gradual transitions, community collaboration, and keeping research and academic requirements at the center of their decisions. They offered their peers five considerations […]
Community Gatherings, Conferences, & Events
Grouper Therapy: TechEX-citement and Revamped Training
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMany higher education institutions are leading the way with innovative solutions. The more we stay connected and collaborate, the more time we save when we have similar problems to solve. I feel so strongly about sharing effort among other institutions that the abbreviated 2025 Internet2 Technology Exchange (TechEX25) session descriptions below were borrowed from their presenters. The Grouper team is excited for TechEX25 in Denver, Colo., held Dec. 8-12. We hope to see many members of the Grouper community, including you! Registration for TechEX25 is open now. If you’re not able to join us in Denver, another great way to […]
IAM Online
Sketching Success: A Peek at InCommon’s IAM Sketch for Architecture Planning
Reading Time: < 1 minuteJuly 17, 2025
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
IAM Modernization Is What You Make It: 6 Ways to Get Started
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBy The InCommon Academy Team On June 25, 2025, the InCommon Academy hosted a Thread Meetup about IAM Modernization for 50+ community members. The key themes that emerged from this discussion illustrated that while the technical aspects of IAM are complex, many of the most significant challenges are organizational, resource-related, and process-oriented. The golden thread, or central insight, of the discussion was that “modernization is what you make it” and reflects the reality that successful IAM modernization isn’t about implementing a checklist of buzzword technologies, but rather about understanding your institution’s specific context, building mature foundational practices, and making incremental […]
IAM Sketch
Sketching Success: A Peek at InCommon’s IAM Sketch for Architecture Planning
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIt’s not that higher education institutions lack IAM tools —it’s that many institutions still lack a clear, shared framework to see how their systems connect, where the gaps are, and how to evolve their architecture with confidence. Whether you’re building from the ground up or dealing with a patchwork of legacy solutions, visualizing your IAM environment (and communicating it to stakeholders) is no small feat. That’s exactly the challenge IAM Sketch aims to address. A new initiative from InCommon and a key deliverable from the Futures2 strategic report, IAM Sketch introduces a visual planning tool and community resource library built […]
InCommon Catalyst Streamlines Researchers’ Access to Shared Resources
Reading Time: < 1 minuteResearchers’ time is best spent on delivering groundbreaking innovation – and not on managing multiple logins when they could be advancing knowledge and collaboration across the research and education community. Cirrus Identity, an InCommon Catalyst, and the InCommon Federation eliminate this potential barrier to progress by managing all the complex identity management infrastructure between organizations. Cirrus’s cloud-based solution, Identity Provider Proxy, enables organizations to quickly set up secure access to InCommon-enabled shared resources across institutions without the burden of maintaining on-site systems. Cirrus Identity has helped Duke University, EDUCAUSE, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and UNC Chapel Hill quickly enable access […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Bridging the Gap: Integrating Authentication w/ Authorization to Solve Critical Access Challenges
Reading Time: < 1 minuteJune 23, 2025
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Catalyst to Catalyst (Summer 2025): Ideas and Insights from InCommon Catalysts
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs part of our ongoing commitment to providing you with additional opportunities to benefit from the insights and expertise of InCommon Catalysts, we are continuing their quarterly Q&A column, Catalyst to Catalyst, which we feature in our e-newsletter InCommon News. Think of Catalyst to Catalyst as a quarterly, virtual advice panel providing perspectives on key identity and access management (IAM) topics for the InCommon community. In this installment, two catalysts discuss the potential impact AI may make in IAM. This is our second column for 2025. What impact do you see AI making in IAM? AI is already making an […]
Artificial Intelligence
The “Intersection” of Grouper and AI: Opportunities and Next Steps
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs an “old school” recreational rapper, I enjoy using AI tools to quickly produce nerdy songs for presentations. I would not be able to orchestrate this music in a reasonable amount of time on my own, and AI would not be able to make Grouper specific songs “without me.” Together we are a force multiplier, which is an analogy for using AI in more useful Grouper areas. Before I saw (heard) AI make a decent song that didn’t exist before, I would not have believed it was possible. When thinking about what AI can do for Grouper, let’s be very […]
IAM Online
Transforming Access Chaos: How Three Universities Are Solving Authorization Complexities with Innovative IAM Approaches
Reading Time: < 1 minute“Who can access what and why?” This simple question costs higher education institutions thousands of staff hours, creates endless frustration for users, and remains one of the most persistent operational headaches across campuses. Behind the scenes of every university’s digital ecosystem is a complex web of access decisions that directly impact daily operations, compliance requirements, and user experience. The Authorization Problem Everyone Feels Think about the last time someone at your institution needed access to a specialized resource. How many emails, approvals, and manual checks were required? How long did it take? And on leaving the university, did that person’s […]
IAM Online
IAM Foundations: Career Insights from UT Austin’s Marta Lang
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIAM Online: May 2025 Speaker Spotlight Have you ever tried to explain to someone outside research and higher education (R&E) why managing digital identities on campus is so complicated? Campuses are complex ecosystems where a single person might be simultaneously a student, staff member, teaching assistant, researcher, and alumnus. Success requires both solid technical know-how and hands-on problem-solving skills to connect these complex systems. Here is what makes this so interesting right now — there is a gap between the demand for Identity and Access Management (IAM) expertise and the supply of professionals who truly understand R&E’s unique identity landscape. […]
Committees, Groups, & Boards
InCommon Federation Community Consultation through June 6: Recommendations for REFEDS Assurance Framework 2.0 Implementation
Reading Time: < 1 minuteI am pleased to announce an InCommon Federation community consultation for the Assured Access Working Group’s guidance document: Recommendations for REFEDS Assurance Framework 2.0 Implementation for InCommon Identity Providers. This consultation is open through June 6, 2025 at 5 p.m. PDT. (You’ll need to sign into the Internet2 wiki to post your feedback, and we hope you will.) Our Scope This document was prepared by the Assured Access Working Group (AAWG), chartered by InCommon’s Community Trust and Assurance Board. This document is written in response to the release of REFEDS Assurance Framework 2.0 with the intent of providing guidance and […]
Expectations, Practices, & Policies
IDEA Report Out – A Strategy for Cross Institutional Course Sharing
Reading Time: < 1 minuteApril 17, 2025
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Building Momentum: How Small Daily Investments Can Help Shape the Future of Your IAM Career
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBy Chris Phillips, Member, Community Architecture Committee for Trust and Identity For over two decades and counting, I have had the privilege of working in the identity and access management (IAM) field, witnessing and participating firsthand in research and education (R&E) trust and identity (T&I) services and their global impact. Our success was, and continues to be, grounded in our understanding and delivery of standards, technologies, and their application at a global scale. This takes precious time. To do this with quality takes understanding. For continued success, the challenge is clear: How do we keep our understanding and skills current […]
BaseCAMP
Expanding IAM Knowledge & Community: What’s Next from InCommon Academy in 2025
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIdentity and Access Management in higher education isn’t just about managing identities — it’s about enabling seamless collaboration, securing critical infrastructure, and adapting to an ever-expanding digital ecosystem. Keeping up with IAM challenges can feel like trying to hit a moving target for many institutions that may be juggling competing priorities. This is where InCommon Academy comes in. More than just training, InCommon Academy is evolving into a connected learning experience — one that can meet institutions and IT professionals at every stage of their IAM journey. Whether you’re laying the groundwork for Federation participation, refining access management, or leading an […]
BaseCAMP
What Are the Biggest Benefits of Attending InCommon BaseCAMP? Hear it from 4 Previous Attendees
Reading Time: < 1 minuteEvery spring, identity and access management (IAM) professionals from all corners of the world gather online to share ideas and expertise at InCommon BaseCAMP. The weeklong virtual IAM event presents a unique opportunity for IAM practitioners to learn new skills, solve problems unique to research and higher education (R&E) institutions, and network with their colleagues. Since 2019, hundreds of IAM professionals have come to BaseCAMP to learn and connect with the community. BaseCAMP sets itself apart from other learning opportunities because of its focus on R&E solutions and its networking opportunities, according to previous attendees. Ahead of BaseCAMP 2025, held […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Define, Design, Discuss: 7 Strategies for Implementing Identity Lifecycle Management
Reading Time: < 1 minuteInCommon Hosts Important Community Conversation In response to community requests, InCommon recently brought together 100+ identity and access management (IAM) practitioners and community members in research & education to discuss the challenges and best practices of managing identities and accounts at their institutions. The March 13, 2025 virtual roundtable focused specifically on Identity Lifecycle Management (ILM)—the process of managing digital identities through various roles, such as student, staff, faculty, and alumni, each with distinct lifecycle stages. The roundtable discussion began with context setting, which included a presentation by Grady Bailey, senior IAM architect at Internet2. His presentation suggested a three-phase […]
IAM Online
Unlocking Seamless Learning: The Power of Federated Identity in Enhancing Student Experiences
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIAM Online: April 2025 Speaker Spotlight Course sharing across institutions is emerging as a powerful strategy for expanding academic offerings, as it boosts retention rates and creates new revenue streams. As noted in a recent Inside Higher Ed report, institutions that implement effective course-sharing models have seen significant benefits, with some colleges tripling summer enrollment and quadrupling revenue while giving students access to courses they need to stay on track for graduation. While these outcomes are promising, one challenge is mostly invisible until students encounter it: what happens when 20 public universities join forces to create collaborative programs, but each […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Catalyst to Catalyst (Spring 2025): Ideas and Insights from InCommon Catalysts
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs part of our ongoing commitment to providing you with additional opportunities to benefit from the insights and expertise of InCommon Catalysts, we are continuing their quarterly Q&A column, Catalyst to Catalyst, which we feature in our e-newsletter InCommon News. Think of Catalyst to Catalyst as a quarterly, virtual advice panel providing perspectives on key identity and access management (IAM) topics for the InCommon community. In this installment, catalysts discuss how IAM can support institutions in complying with regulatory and reporting requirements as well as best practices for establishing relationships with vendors. This is our first column for 2025. Question: […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Change is Afoot: Navigating Cloud Shifts in Higher Ed IAM
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMarch 20, 2025
IAM Online
The SSO Shift: Navigating Cloud Choices in Higher Ed IAM
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIAM Online: March 2025 Speaker Spotlight Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Single Sign-On (SSO) have been on higher ed’s radar for years. But lately, the landscape has shifted. More and more institutions are finding themselves in the middle of change, facing less-than-straightforward decisions about how to meet current and future SSO needs and how cloud-based solutions are entering the picture. The choice of SSO solution is an important one as it impacts not just academic collaborations but also the security and accessibility of essential campus services. A well-implemented SSO system streamlines resource access, enhances user experience, and bolsters institutional […]
IAM Online
2025 Identity Trends & Forecasts for the Year Ahead: What’s Taking Center Stage in Research & Education
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFebruary 19, 2025
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Community Collaborates to Enhance Grouper Documentation
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn 2023, when a community group formed to improve Grouper documentation, Noelette Stout of Idaho State University stepped up to coordinate the effort. “I wanted to contribute to the community and provide any assistance I could offer,” Noelette explained. “Grouper has been such an invaluable tool for us, so I was eager to help. Since I’m not a programmer, this seemed like a great opportunity to give back to the team in an alternative way.” Grouper is an enterprise group and access management system that simplifies access management by letting you use the same group or role in many places […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
IAM Industry Leaders Map Out 2025’s Critical Trends & Guidance for Higher Ed
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIAM Online: February 2025 Speaker Spotlight With so many developments unfolding in identity and access management (IAM), it’s no wonder why institutions must pay attention to critical trends that are emerging. How will AI shape IAM operations? What’s the latest on OpenID Federation, and why does it matter? Can federation proxies help institutions participate in federated services while managing risk and maintaining existing systems? What lessons can be learned from higher education leaders navigating challenges? Our upcoming webinar on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m. ET entitled “2025 Identity Trends & Forecasts for the Year Ahead: What’s Taking Center Stage […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
The Best IAM Advice Ever: The 2024 Edition
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThroughout 2024, we asked members of the InCommon community to share the best identity and access management (IAM) advice they had ever received and from whom. Here are five pieces of the best IAM advice ever. 1. “Slow and steady wins the race.” (Marta Lang, University of Texas at Austin) 2. “The best IAM advice I’ve received came from Lev Gonick, enterprise chief information officer at ASU. Instead of always being on the defensive, he says think offensively. Stay proactive and lead rather than simply reacting to threats. This mindset shift has been instrumental in shaping my approach to cybersecurity […]
Institutional or Federal Research
A Tale of Two Harvests: The First Seeds of InCommon Continue to Grow
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBy Ken Klingenstein, Internet2 Evangelist for Trust and Identity The Internet2 middleware initiative that would eventually grow into what is now known as InCommon began with a National Science Foundation-funded workshop called Early Harvest in the fall of 1999. The workshop was intended to glean a first understanding of good approaches to academic identity and access management (IAM). A bunch of the usual suspects, led by R.L. “Bob” Morgan of the University of Washington and other leaders from campuses including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Wisconsin, and University of Virginia, gathered in a conference hotel in Denver. Those […]
One Year In: InCommon’s Future
Reading Time: < 1 minuteJanuary 16, 2025
IAM Online
Shaping the Future of IAM: One Year into InCommon’s Strategic Vision
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMarch 2024 marked an important moment when InCommon took a pivotal step forward with its Futures2 Strategy, charting a course to become the community’s trusted authority for Identity and Access Management (IAM) in research and education (R&E). Now, as we approach the one-year milestone, the initial results are showing exciting progress in areas critical to the R&E community — from new tools for sharing IAM architectures to practical toolkits for teaching, learning, and federal compliance. Join the Webinar Join us on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. ET for “One Year In: InCommon’s Future,” where Ann West, associate vice president […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Catalyst to Catalyst (Winter 2024): Ideas and Insights from InCommon Catalysts
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs part of our ongoing commitment to providing you with additional opportunities to benefit from the insights and expertise of InCommon Catalysts, we are continuing their quarterly Q&A column, Catalyst to Catalyst, which we feature in our e-newsletter InCommon News. Think of Catalyst to Catalyst as a quarterly, virtual advice panel providing perspectives on key identity and access management (IAM) topics for the InCommon community. In this installment, catalysts discuss the greatest challenges they have seen research and education institutions address this year and share reflections on the importance of community. This is our final column for 2024. Question: What […]
Announcements & Notices
Expanding Academic Horizons: How Federated Identity Can Transform Cross-Institutional Learning
Reading Time: < 1 minute2024 has been a pivotal year for InCommon, fueled by our Futures2 Strategy pushing new explorations and investments across the community. In reviewing our 20-year history, one of this year’s initiatives stands out as having the significant potential to again transform the community in profound ways. In researching where we could make our biggest impact, we discovered that course-sharing is a remarkably powerful and under-utilized tool in higher education, offering the opportunity to increase academic breadth without increasing costs. To explore this topic, we partnered with IDEA, a consortium of leading U.S. public universities, working together to offer online, flexible, and affordable […]
Cybersecurity & Next-Gen Security
IAM in Higher Ed: Balancing Security and Ease of Use
Reading Time: < 1 minuteNovember 20, 2024
Announcements & Notices
From Baltimore to Boston, We’re Off to the Races!
Reading Time: < 1 minuteReflecting on Futures2, Looking Forward to TechEX24 SUMMARY: Get leadership insight into the InCommon 2023 strategic planning process and what it means for the future of identity and access management in research and education. Join your colleagues at the 2024 Internet2 Technology Exchange in Boston where you will hear first-hand how the power of collective community action continues to move InCommon forward. Betting on Baltimore: The Anticipation of Triple Crown’s Second Round For better or worse, my being from Baltimore is as obvious as is me being bald. You can see me being bald from a mile away, and if […]
Announcements & Notices
InCommon’s 20-Year Milestone: Connecting and Supporting Researchers with Rachana Ananthakrishnan
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWe are reaching the end of our year-long celebration of InCommon’s 20th birthday. As we draw to a close, we highlight an interview I held with a pivotal figure in the research and higher education (R&E) community: Rachana Ananthakrishnan, the executive director and head of products for Globus at the University of Chicago. Globus provides an important infrastructure allowing researchers to move and share data reliably and securely, compute across systems easily, and automate research tasks. Over the years, InCommon and Globus have worked together to connect researchers, enable collaboration, and build a trusted access community. Rachana has an extensive […]
IAM Online
Striking a Balance: Enhancing IAM Security While Maintaining Ease of Use in Higher Education
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIAM SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT SUMMARY: Explore strategies for enhancing IAM security while maintaining user convenience in higher education. Join experts as they discuss the challenges posed by social engineering attacks and share insights on balancing robust security measures with seamless access for students, faculty, and staff. Understanding the IAM Challenge in Higher Education Higher education institutions face an ever-growing challenge: how to keep their systems secure without making life difficult for their users. Social engineering attacks like phishing, identity fraud, and fraudulent password reset requests are becoming more sophisticated and frequent. According to EDUCAUSE in May 2024, education is the top […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
7 things you should do to improve your user’s security on eduroam
Reading Time: < 1 minuteOctober 16, 2024
Announcements & Notices
20-Year Milestone: Making an Impact on Research with Kevin Thompson
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWe continue to celebrate InCommon’s 20th birthday with a series of forward-facing conversations featuring prominent leaders in the research and higher education (R&E) community. For this installment, I chatted with Kevin Thompson, a program director for the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering and the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Kevin has served at the NSF since 2003 and helped build the NSF Middleware Initiative and Experimental Infrastructure programs at the agency. Before his tenure at NSF, Kevin worked in the MCI Advanced Internet Technologies department, where he was responsible for the vBNS […]
Committees, Groups, & Boards
Aligning IAM and Cybersecurity: Connections and Critical Success Factors
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBy Rob Carter, Duke University; Kevin Hickey, University of Detroit Mercy; Kevin Mackie, Oregon Health & Science University; and David Walker, Independent Editor’s Note: This article authored by Kevin Hickey, vice chair, and committee members Rob Carter and Kevin Mackie, and advisor David Walker marks the beginning of a Community Architecture Committee for Trust and Identity (CACTI)-sponsored initiative to highlight and strengthen the synergies between the IAM and cybersecurity functions at research and education institutions. Stay tuned as we explore areas to consider and actionable steps to achieve these goals. As traditional network-based defenses lose their effectiveness, securing access at the […]
IAM Online
Speaker Spotlight: 7 Things You Should Do to Improve Your User’s Security on eduroam
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIAM Online: October 2024 Speaker Spotlight Article eduroam was started to enable roaming access for researchers. It has since evolved to serve as a standard configuration approach for wireless access in education and research and network trust and privacy have become paramount. On Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, at 1 p.m. ET, join Margaret Cullen and Josh Howlett from the eduroam US operations team for a deep dive into practical strategies that can enhance your eduroam deployment’s security. They’ll share how to implement simple changes that reduce data leaks, promote privacy-preserving user behavior, and make it easier for eduroamers to connect […]
Announcements & Notices
InCommon’s 20-Year Milestone: Connecting Educators and Research Through Collaboration and Community with Sean Reynolds
Reading Time: < 1 minuteContinuing our celebration of InCommon’s 20th birthday, we bring you a conversation with another influential voice in the research and higher education (R&E) community: Sean Reynolds, vice president for Information Technology and CIO at Northwestern University. Sean remains a dedicated and active volunteer with InCommon. He served on the InCommon Steering Committee from 2015-2020, acting as Chair for two years. Sean’s leadership was critical as the Trust and Identity in Education and Research (TIER) program wound down and was permanently resourced as an ongoing part of the InCommon portfolio. He has also played a role in recruiting new members to […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Catalyst to Catalyst (Fall 2024): Ideas and Insights from InCommon Catalysts
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs part of our ongoing commitment to providing you with additional opportunities to benefit from the insights and expertise of InCommon Catalysts, we are continuing their quarterly Q&A column, Catalyst to Catalyst, which we feature in our e-newsletter InCommon News. Think of Catalyst to Catalyst as a quarterly, virtual advice panel providing perspectives on key identity and access management (IAM) topics for the InCommon community. In this installment, catalysts discuss implementing identity governance and administration (IGA) solutions, explaining identity and access management (IAM) to a nontechnical audience, managing source of authority between systems, and supporting a collaborative culture when it […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Passkeys: What You Should Know and UMBC’s Implementation Journey (September 2024)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSeptember 18, 2024
Data Security & Encryption
Unlocking the Future of Campus Security: Passkeys and UMBC’s Pioneering Journey
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn a time where digital security is paramount, higher education institutions face unprecedented challenges in protecting their vast digital ecosystems. From student records to groundbreaking research data, the stakes have never been higher. Enter passkeys: a revolutionary approach to authentication that promises to enhance security and simplify the user experience — an uncommon pairing in the realm of cybersecurity. The Urgent Need for Passwordless Authentication in Higher Education Recently published statistics paint a stark picture of the current cybersecurity landscape in academia: These numbers underscore a critical vulnerability in current authentication systems. Passwords, a cornerstone of digital security, have become […]
Announcements & Notices
Choosing the Moon: InCommon Futures2 Will Take Our Community to New Heights
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThere’s a difference between saying, “Let’s see if we can put someone on the moon,” and instead saying “We’re putting someone on the moon.” A big difference. As I thought about where InCommon has been and where we’re headed next, John F. Kennedy’s September 1962 address at Rice University on the nation’s space effort crossed my mind. JFK was clear that going to the moon was a choice. “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize […]
Announcements & Notices
InCommon’s 20-Year Milestone: Unparalleled Community & Indispensable Infrastructure with Jack Suess
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWe continue to celebrate InCommon’s 20th birthday with a series of forward-facing conversations featuring prominent leaders in the research and higher education (R&E) community. Today, we spotlight a conversation I had with Jack Suess, vice president of Information Technology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. During his time at UMBC, Suess’ work has been nothing short of remarkable. After decades at UMBC as a student or staff, Suess was appointed the university’s CIO in 2000 and named a vice president five years later. He has spearheaded initiatives in advanced networking and cloud computing and helped lead the R&E community […]
Announcements & Notices
InCommon’s 20-Year Milestone: How InCommon Facilitates Conversations and Collaboration in Research with Lois Brooks
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs we continue to celebrate InCommon’s 20th birthday this year, we can focus on its continued impact on the research and higher education (R&E) community. To discuss how InCommon has impacted researchers on campus, as well as how researchers can utilize eduroam away from their institutions, I sat down with Lois Brooks, vice provost for Information Technology and CIO at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Brooks joined UW-Madison in August 2018, following her tenure as vice provost for Information services and CIO at Oregon State University. She also co-founded the Sakai Foundation during her time at Stanford University, where she served […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
IAM Online Speaker Spotlight: University of Michigan’s Gail Lift and Bruce Timberlake on Implementing Grouper ABAC
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWith Q&A by Gail Lift and Bruce Timberlake, University of Michigan In today’s complex IT landscapes, ensuring secure and efficient access control is paramount. Grouper, an open-source software component of InCommon’s Trusted Access Platform, simplifies group provisioning and permission assignment. But what if you need a more granular and adaptable approach? Enter Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC). The next IAM Online webinar on July 17 dives into the world of Grouper ABAC with Gail Lift, application developer lead, and Bruce Timberlake, senior application systems administrator, from the University of Michigan (UM). The duo will discuss how UM leverages ABAC to create […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Catalyst to Catalyst (Summer 2024): Ideas and Insights from InCommon Catalysts
Reading Time: < 1 minuteEditor’s Note: This month marks the third anniversary of the launch of the InCommon Catalyst Program. We thank the catalysts for their ongoing contributions to the community and know the best is yet to come. As part of our ongoing commitment to providing you with additional opportunities to benefit from the insights and expertise of InCommon Catalysts, we are continuing their quarterly Q&A column, Catalyst to Catalyst, which we feature in our e-newsletter InCommon News. Think of Catalyst to Catalyst as a quarterly, virtual advice panel providing perspectives on key identity and access management (IAM) topics for the InCommon community. […]
IAM Tools, Software, & Solutions
Grouper Rules: Any Angler Can Use Them Now
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIf your financial planner or your lawyer talks to you about life cycle planning, it can be a weighty discussion. Luckily this blog is about something more fun, at least if you are an access management geek. A joke is told; you decide if it is funny. If so, you laugh. That is a rule. When something happens, check a condition; if true, then do an action. Another example: Grouper School is announced for August 19-22, you see if you are free, and you sign up for Grouper training (which includes covering the new rules features). Now for an employee […]
Community
Playbook – Effective Strategies for Cybersecurity, Digital Trust, and Community Engagement (June 2024)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteJune 12, 2024
The Basics of Building Your Own IAM Program at InCommon BaseCAMP 2024
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAs institutions set out to establish crucial identity and access management (IAM) programs, their IAM teams will inevitably face a slew of new questions. Understanding core components and navigating key decisions about infrastructure, staffing, and budgets is just the beginning of the process. Each IAM program faces unique challenges, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all blueprint available off the shelf. Fortunately, experienced IAM teams in the InCommon community can offer advice and expertise to help with some of the growing pains of a new or evolving IAM program. This year at InCommon BaseCAMP 2024, a panel of IAM experts will dive […]
IAM Online
IAM Online Speaker Spotlight: Unlocking Strategies for Cybersecurity and Digital Trust with Dr. Donna Kidwell
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn today’s evolving digital landscape, institutions must embrace the opportunities that new technology offers while simultaneously navigating an ever-evolving landscape of security threats. Building trust and ensuring robust cybersecurity are critical pillars for long-term success. Dr. Donna Kidwell, chief information security officer and deputy CIO at the University of Toronto, will be the featured speaker for the upcoming IAM Online webinar, “Playbook – Effective Strategies for Cybersecurity, Digital Trust, and Community Engagement,” on June 12 at 1:15 p.m. ET. During this webinar, Dr. Kidwell will draw from her extensive experience in cybersecurity, including her tenure at Arizona State University, where […]
Committees, Groups, & Boards
CACTI Working Group Identifies Four Key Characteristics of a Next-Generation Credential Ecosystem (and 30+ Use Cases)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteConsider these scenarios: While these use-cases are performed today using legacy methods spanning the gamut from use of plastic student ID cards, metal keys, and paper transcripts, which must be physically presented or used, to electronic methods, including shipping large documents around the network, none of the present electronic solutions puts the student, faculty, or staff member in a position to play a critical (and privacy-preserving) role in the decision making process. As the landscape of electronic identity shifts away from highly centralized, federated web single-single-on infrastructures to a user-centric identity ecosystem, members of the InCommon and REFEDS community wanted […]
Announcements & Notices
When Pigs Fly: On Impossible Ambitions, Reaching New Heights, and Celebrating InCommon’s 20th Birthday
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBy Kenneth “Ken” Klingenstein, Internet2 Evangelist for Trust and Identity We had no idea what we were doing. Led by our fearless leader, RL “Bob” Morgan, we were wandering through green fields, looking for technologies that would enable institutions to share authentication information and attributes. Our Shibboleth for that effort was to authenticate locally and act globally. We knew that if our wanderings were technically productive, we would need to create some organizational mechanism for a relying party to trust the information it received from the institution providing authentication and attributes. But our mascot, a flying pig, was indicative of […]
BaseCAMP
Benefits of InCommon BaseCAMP: Hear it from Former First-Timers
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBaseCAMP, InCommon’s annual virtual event for identity and access management (IAM) professionals, is only a few weeks away. Every year, people in research and higher education who are new to IAM and the InCommon community come to BaseCAMP to explore topics related to federated identity, stay current on IAM services, and network with their peers. Over the past half-decade, institutions worldwide have sent their teams to BaseCAMP to learn from thought leaders in IAM. BaseCAMP, held online this year June 3-7, includes content and interactive sessions for a variety of IAM team members of all skill levels and interests, from […]
Global Wireless Access
Mobile Madness: The eduroam Edition
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe eduroam team had some fun with the NCAA Women’s Basketball bracket this year.We thought it would be interesting to look at successful eduroam logins from the 64 schools in the bracket, pitting them head to head to see who would come out as the 2024 eduroam bracket champions! Rules of the Roam So to set this scenario up, we defined these rules: First Week Outcomes This led to some interesting outcomes. In the first week, we lost a few teams right away. There were only five schools in the field who did not deploy eduroam. Talk about full court […]
Futures2
InCommon Futures2: The Conversation Continues (April 2024)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteApril 18, 2024
Expectations, Practices, & Policies
The Future of InCommon Federation Services: 3 Important Enhancements
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThere’s a great deal on the horizon for the InCommon Federation in 2024. We’re pleased to announce three long-awaited enhancements to our services, and I’m excited to share the details with the community to assist in your future planning. 1. Enabling Federated Access to the Federation Manager Portal That’s right. Federation Manager, the tool you use to manage InCommon-registered metadata, will support federated access for site admins this summer. Federation Manager already supports federated access for eduroam administrators and InCommon delegated administrators. Detailed migration information will follow. Once enabled, if your organization has an InCommon-registered identity provider (IdP), you can […]
speaker spotlight
Five-Time Speaker Tom Jordan Offers Insights on InCommon BaseCAMP and Beyond
Reading Time: < 1 minuteEdited By Apryl Motley, Communications & Technical Writing Consultant, Internet2 According to several numerology reference texts, the number five signifies curiosity and change. Two words that definitely come to mind as we prepare to welcome five-time speaker Tom Jordan back to InCommon BaseCAMP, June 3-7, 2024. A solutions architect at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison), Tom brings a wealth of identity and access management (IAM) experience and expertise to InCommon BaseCAMP 2024. During the last five years, he has shared firsthand observations about the changes happening in the ever-evolving environment for IAM in higher ed and inspired us all with […]
Committees, Groups, & Boards
Off Loading Cellular Traffic Over Wireless: To Open Roam or Not? and Why Not eduroam?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFROM THE DESK OF THE eAC Note from the eAC Chair: This article is the first of a series from members of the eduroam-US Advisory Committee (eAC). The eAC discusses a wide range of topics within the wireless and mobility space, and many of these don’t have clear answers, but pathways we need to explore or an uncertain future, which will require community input to chart our path forward. This series, “From the Desk of the eAC,” highlights current topics within the wireless and mobility space to share the current thoughts from eAC on a particular subject or to encourage […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
InCommon Certificate Service to Present Community Survey Results and Use Cases
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSince surveying its community of subscribers last September, InCommon has used this data to inform ongoing conversations with Sectigo about an updated agreement between InCommon and Sectigo. These conversations have focused on incorporating features that align with current technologies as well as expanding the service to offer basic and premium tiers. As the InCommon Certificate Service Team continues conversations with Sectigo to explore additional features, members of the InCommon Certificate Service Redesign Group have offered their insights. To learn more and hear from some members of the group, join us for a webinar, Redesigning the InCommon Certificate Service, Community Survey […]
Announcements & Notices
Learning from the Past While Looking to the Future
Reading Time: < 1 minuteInCommon 2023 Year in Review Available Now The past is kind enough to give you lessons. The present is kind enough to give you opportunities. The future is kind enough to give you both. —Matshona Dhliwayo Zimbabwean-born and Canadian-based philosopher Matshona Dhliwayo’s keen observation about the interrelationship between the past, present, and future strikes us as particularly appropriate as we reflect on 2023 and continue the work we’ve started to ensure a bright future for InCommon. (Download the InCommon 2023 Year in Review.) Community Curated and Future Focused Our work last year was community-curated and future-focused. In 2023, we applied […]
Announcements & Notices
Happy Birthday to Us! InCommon Turns 20 in May
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFor most of us, our perspective on birthdays changes over time and with life experiences. When I was a boy, say 10 years old or so, my friends and I loved birthdays and their parties. These were very focused events. Will I like the cake? How much will I be allowed to eat? How many presents did I get? Do I like the presents? How many friends came to the party? Was I the undisputed center of attention? When I was in my twenties, there was a notable shift. The gatherings were less about a focus on the immediate present […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
The Year Ahead in IAM, the 2024 Edition: Ideas & Insights from InCommon Catalysts (February 2024)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFebruary 15, 2024
Multilateral Federation Guidance from Microsoft and Its Potential Impact on the R&E Community (January 2024)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteJanuary 17, 2024
Committees, Groups, & Boards
Transitional Technologies Working Group of eduroam Advisory Committee Develops Community Resource
Reading Time: < 1 minuteEarlier this year, the eduroam Advisory Committee announced a new and ongoing repository for eduroam Transitional Technologies updates. Intended to complement the established eduroam Best Practices Guide, the Transitional Technologies Repository serves as community guidance surrounding new and emerging 802.1x technologies that may impact the eduroam user experience. While immediate action may not always be required, it is recommended eduroam administrators consult Transitional Technologies for applicability to their environments and consider both short and long term impacts as it relates to their planning to best optimize the eduroam experience at their site. Members of the Transitional Technologies Working Group shared […]
IAM Tools, Software, & Solutions
Keeping the Music Playing: IAM Today and Tomorrow
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFriedrich Nietzsche: “Notice that autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature.” Ka’ala, @alohakaala: “Autumn teaches us the beauty of letting go. Growth requires release—it’s what the trees do.” Ernest Hemingway: “You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintery light. But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
eduroam Logs: Demo of Grafana with IAM (November 2023)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteNovember 15th, 2023
IAM Online
Q&A With Mary McKee: Building IAM Bridges for Inclusion and Collaboration
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRecent Microsoft Announcement Signals a Win for Multilateral Federation in the Research and Education Community Ask Mary McKee, senior director of engineering at Cirrus Identity, about the role of vendor-neutral standards and solutions for identity and access management (IAM) in research and education (R&E), and her response might surprise you. “Maybe it’s not as much about vendor-neutrality as it is about acknowledging ‘here’s what it takes for us all to work together, regardless of the unique paths our institutions follow to arrive at common standards and best practices.’ There are multiple right ways to do that and multiple wrong ways […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Case Study Showcase: Practical Applications of the InCommon TAP Components (October 2023)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteOctober 18th, 2023
Success Stories
Purdue University’s IAM Modernization Success Story (September 2023)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSeptember 27, 2023
About Internet2
InCommon for All Seasons, But Especially Christmas in July
Reading Time: < 1 minuteI am fortunate to live in a place where I experience all four seasons. It is summer where I live. I’ve come to enjoy anticipating the changes in the upcoming season and reflecting on the opportunities the past season enabled. In my youth, summer meant potato salad, fresh tomatoes pulled off the vine, grilling, baseball, crabs, and extra deodorant. Summer 2023 has the added bonus of the Women’s World Cup! A World Cup makes for some of the best months in any given year. So why in this humid, carb filled, daylight-filled time of year am I thinking about Christmas. […]
Data Security & Encryption
How to Sirtfi – Going Beyond the Federation Security Checkbox (July 2023)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteJuly 19th, 2023
InCommon’s Future: Get In On the Discussion (May 2023)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMay 17th, 2023
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Getting IAM Done. Better. Faster. Together. (April 2023)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteApril 19th, 2023
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Self-Sovereign ID: The Future of Learner, Teacher, and Researcher Credentials in the Academic Identity Landscape (March 2023)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMarch 15th, 2023
Grouper
From Modernizing Our Use of Grouper to Provisioning with midPoint and Developing Standard Populations (February 2023)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFebruary 15, 2023
IAM Online
The Year Ahead in IAM: Ideas & Insights from InCommon Catalysts (January 2023)
Reading Time: < 1 minuteJanuary 30th, 2023
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
The Time to Meet InCommon Baseline Expectations 2 Requirements is Fast Approaching
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBy David St. Pierre Bantz, University of Alaska / InCommon Community Trust & Assurance Board, and Albert Wu, InCommon Federation Service Manager InCommon Participants established the InCommon Baseline Expectations for Trust in Federation in 2018 as a means to increase trust and interoperability among InCommon federation participants and to define what they expect of each other, and of InCommon Operations. The second iteration of Baseline Expectations (Baseline Expectations 2, or BE2) was ratified by the InCommon Steering Committee in late 2020. BE2 officially went into effect on July 19, 2021. All InCommon Participants are expected to update their registered entities to […]
Internet2 Technology Exchange
Duke Unlock: One-step Multi-factor
Reading Time: < 1 minuteBy Mary McKee and Shilen Patel (both of Duke University) Passwordless Authentication with Shibboleth and WebAuthn (Note: This is the second in a series of blog posts highlighting key sessions at this year’s Technology Exchange (TechEx), December 9-13, 2019, in New Orleans). Multi-factor doesn’t have to mean multi-step. Duke Unlock lets you access your Duke account as easily as you unlock your phone. Unlike current multi-step login methods, Duke Unlock opens the door to enhanced convenience while retaining credential security by using your trusted device’s native capabilities in place of a password and secondary verification process. Based on the W3C’s Web Authentication (WebAuthn) specification […]
BaseCAMP
Grab Your Backpack. InCommon BaseCAMP 2026 is Here — and the Terrain Has Changed
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRegistration for InCommon BaseCAMP 2026 is open, and we’ve changed things up this year with new formats, new sessions, and one of our strongest programs yet. Whether you’re sending a new staff member, bringing your whole team, or attending BaseCAMP to boost your identity and access management (IAM) skills, here’s what we have planned for you this year. BaseCAMP 2026 June 1–5 | Virtual | Half-Day Sessions Understand the IAM landscape. Meet the people shaping it. Start your journey. Register for BaseCAMP 2026 What’s on the Trail in 2026 This is only a small taste of what’s on the docket […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
eduroam Administrators Survey Discussion: User Education is a Major Challenge
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMarch 24, 2026
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Catalyst to Catalyst (Spring 2026): Ideas and Insights from InCommon Catalysts
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Community Gatherings, Conferences, & Events
From Barriers to Best Practices: What We Learned from Our Community Conversation on Federated Identity in Academic Libraries
Reading Time: < 1 minuteLibrarians and identity and access management (IAM) practitioners are solving the same problem; they just don’t know it yet. That was the impetus behind the March 3, 2026, InCommon Thread Meetup, where library staff, IAM teams, federation operators, and content vendors came together to talk honestly about why federated identity adoption in academic libraries remains so low. Want to be a part of the conversation? Join us for the next InCommon Thread Meetup. See Upcoming Thread Meetups The Access Problem is Bigger Than You Might Think The discussion began with Amanda Ferrante, principal product manager of Identity & Access Management […]
Blogs
BaseCAMP
Grab Your Backpack. InCommon BaseCAMP 2026 is Here — and the Terrain Has Changed
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRegistration for InCommon BaseCAMP 2026 is open, and we’ve changed things up this year with new formats, new sessions, and one of our strongest programs yet. Whether you’re sending a new staff member, bringing your whole team, or attending BaseCAMP to boost your identity and access management (IAM) skills, here’s what we have planned for you this year. BaseCAMP 2026 June 1–5 | Virtual | Half-Day Sessions Understand the IAM landscape. Meet the people shaping it. Start your journey. Register for BaseCAMP 2026 What’s on the Trail in 2026 This is only a small taste of what’s on the docket […]
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Catalyst to Catalyst (Spring 2026): Ideas and Insights from InCommon Catalysts
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Community Gatherings, Conferences, & Events
From Barriers to Best Practices: What We Learned from Our Community Conversation on Federated Identity in Academic Libraries
Reading Time: < 1 minuteLibrarians and identity and access management (IAM) practitioners are solving the same problem; they just don’t know it yet. That was the impetus behind the March 3, 2026, InCommon Thread Meetup, where library staff, IAM teams, federation operators, and content vendors came together to talk honestly about why federated identity adoption in academic libraries remains so low. Want to be a part of the conversation? Join us for the next InCommon Thread Meetup. See Upcoming Thread Meetups The Access Problem is Bigger Than You Might Think The discussion began with Amanda Ferrante, principal product manager of Identity & Access Management […]
Reports
Announcements & Notices
Trust and Identity Accomplishments 2018
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn this comprehensive report from 2018, learn about the Trust and Identity accomplishments and plans for the future.
Expectations, Practices, & Policies
eduroam Connector Agreement
Reading Time: < 1 minuteGet more information about the Internet2 eduroam Connector Agreement.
Expectations, Practices, & Policies
TIER Accomplishments by Thematic Grouping
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis report provides a short history of the TIER initiative, its accomplishments, some metrics, and financial information.
Webinars
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
eduroam Administrators Survey Discussion: User Education is a Major Challenge
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMarch 24, 2026
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
The Year Ahead: Insights into the 2026 R&E IAM Landscape from InCommon Catalysts
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFebruary 18, 2026
Guidance, Best Practices, & Support
Making it Easier for Researchers: NIH’s use of InCommon for Controlled-Access Data
Reading Time: < 1 minuteJanuary 23, 2026