Using open source middleware for securing e-gov applications

Nowadays, a global information infrastructure connects remote parties through the use of large scale networks, and many companies focus on developing e-services based on remote resources and on interaction between remote parties. In such a context, e-Government (e-Gov) systems became of paramount importance for the Public Administration, and many ongoing development projects are targeted on their implementation and release. For open source software to play an important role in this scenario, two main technological requirements must be fulfilled: (i) the identification and optimization of de facto standards for building e-Gov open source software components and (ii) a standard integration strategy of these components into an open source middleware layer, capable of conveying a completely open-source e-Gov solution. In this paper, we argue that e-Gov systems should be constructed on a open source middleware layer, providing full public responsibility in its development. We discuss the role of open source middleware for secure e-Gov services deployment, focusing on implementing a security environment without custom programming. We give an analysis of two most important open source Application Server (JBoss and JOnAS) and we provide a complete description of security solution adopted in our open source implementation of e-Gov services, introducing single sign-on authentication based on certificates.