The topic of claims, or trusted user attributes, is an established and well-defined concept within the identity management space. It has seen renewed interest in recent months for a number of reasons.

In SharePoint 2010, Microsoft introduced support for a claims-based identity model. Claims-based identities can be used in Microsoft SharePoint to enhance the process of user authentication. By harnessing the power of claims and extending its use to authorization, organizations can also effectively manage security and governance policies for accessing valuable information assets.

This white paper explains claims-based identities and their many concepts for more scalable, dynamic security within Microsoft SharePoint.