WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus for z/OS, Version 6.2.0 Operating Systems: z/OS


Elements of application security

Applications that run in WebSphere® ESB are secured by authentication and by access control. In addition, the data that is transferred during the invocation of an application is kept secure by various mechanisms; these mechanisms ensure that the data cannot be read or altered in transit. The final element of security is the propagation of security information through various systems, so that the user need not repeatedly enter a user name and password.

Security in WebSphere ESB can be divided into three broad groupings:

Application security

The security of your WebSphere ESB applications is maintained in two ways:
  • Authentication

    A user who wants to use an application must provide a user name and password from the user registry.

  • Access control

    A user must have permission to invoke the application. Roles are associated with invocation of the application. An authenticated user must be part of the appropriate role; otherwise, the application will not run.

Data integrity and privacy

The data accessed by an application is secured at origin, destination, and in transit:
  • Integrity

    Data sent over the network cannot be altered in transit.

  • Privacy/confidentiality

    Data sent over the network cannot be intercepted and read in transit.

Identity propagation

The final element of security is one of propagation of identity, which is achieved through Single sign on.

When a client request needs to flow through several systems within the enterprise, the client is not forced to provide authentication data multiple times. The single sign on method is used to propagate the authentication information to downstream systems, which can, in turn, apply access control.


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Timestamp icon Last updated: 21 June 2010


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