Web Services and Interoperability : Security Challenges

Abstract

The Web services framework intends to provide a standards-based realization of the serviceoriented architecture (SOA) over Internet, which has emerged in response to a fundamental shift from program-to-consumer (B2C) to program-to-program (B2B) interactions. Fully Interconnected enterprises are being replaced by business networks in which each participant provides the others with specialized services. This new service architecture defines a set of requirements that distinguish SOA from other services architecture. Security and Web services are consistently reported among the top technologies of interest to business. Concerns about the security technology are major deterrent to companies considering use of the technology. This paper attempts to explain the new Web Services security and mentions the main initiatives and their respective specifications.