Welcome to GateKeeper
What is Gatekeeper?
GateKeeper is a Mozilla Firefox extension wich a website can use to authenticate you.
GateKeeper also takes care of authenticating the website you are about to enter, fully preventing Phishing or other types of MITM attacks to occur.
How does it work?
When your browser receives a gatekeeper authentication request, the Gatekeeper extension appears in between the menu bar and the address entry bar.
What is shown is similar to a login form, but appears in an area not accessible to external web pages.
Once the end user has entered his (login,password), the extension starts an authentication protocol with a suitable authentication portail. This protocol allows to prove the password without moving it on the network, rendering password theft not achievable.
The Gatekeeper extension securely forward to the authentication portail informations on the connection from which the authentication request was issued. The authentication portail checks those informations and securely deliver an authentication token granting access to the site from where the authentication request was issued.
A failed authentication indicates that your (login,password) were not correct and/or that you were about to enter in a non recognized site. Gatekeeper acts as a certifying authority for the site you want to enter.
Main Benefits :
- GateKeeper leverages the Secure Remote Password algorithm to make unfeasible capturing your passwords.
- If used to enter into a secure website, the extension controls the site certificate, completely preventing the possibility of a MITM attack.
- GateKeeper authentication is easy to embed into any web application reusing server side server components or collaborating with central authentication portail on the Internet.
Starting Points
- GateKeeperPrimer -- More details on how GateKeeper works.
- Specifications -- The full set of specs.
- DeveloperBoard -- Short lived informations, part of the development effort.
For a complete list of local wiki pages, see TitleIndex.
