▁help ▁deal ▁with ▁user ▁and ▁data ▁security ▁where ▁the ▁user ▁and ▁the ▁systems ▁they ▁accessed ▁were ▁within ▁the ▁same ▁network ▁– ▁or ▁at ▁least ▁the ▁same ▁" domain ▁of ▁control ". ▁ ▁In cre asing ly ▁however , ▁users ▁are ▁accessing ▁external ▁systems ▁which ▁are ▁fund ament ally ▁outside ▁their ▁domain ▁of ▁control , ▁and ▁external ▁users ▁are ▁accessing ▁internal ▁systems . ▁The ▁increasing ly ▁common ▁separation ▁of ▁user ▁from ▁the ▁systems ▁requiring ▁access ▁is ▁an ▁in ev itable ▁by - product ▁of ▁the ▁decent ral ization ▁brought ▁about ▁by ▁the ▁integration ▁of ▁the ▁Internet ▁into ▁every ▁aspect ▁of ▁both ▁personal ▁and ▁business ▁life . ▁ ▁E vol ving ▁identity ▁management ▁challeng es , ▁and ▁especially ▁the ▁challeng es ▁associated ▁with ▁cross - company , ▁cross - domain ▁access , ▁have ▁given ▁rise ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁approach ▁to ▁identity ▁management , ▁known ▁now ▁as ▁" f eder ated ▁identity ▁management ". ▁ ▁F Id M , ▁or ▁the ▁" f eder ation " ▁of ▁identity , ▁describes ▁the ▁techn ologies , ▁standards ▁and ▁use - cases ▁which ▁serve ▁to ▁enable ▁the ▁port ability ▁of ▁identity ▁information ▁across ▁otherwise ▁autonom ous ▁security ▁domains . ▁The ▁ult imate ▁goal ▁of ▁identity ▁feder ation ▁is ▁to ▁enable ▁users ▁of ▁one ▁domain ▁to ▁secure ly ▁access ▁data ▁or ▁systems ▁of ▁another ▁domain ▁se am lessly , ▁and ▁without ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁completely ▁redundant ▁user ▁administration . ▁Identity ▁feder ation ▁comes ▁in ▁many ▁flav ors , ▁including ▁" user - control led " ▁or ▁" user - cent