QGIS’s New Authentication System and Plugins

Abstract

Until recently, QGIS had no support for any authentication method beyond simply username and password, which could only be stored as plain text. Starting with QGIS 2.12, Boundless worked with the community to introduce an extensive authentication system. This system manages encrypted storage of user credentials, applies credentials using authentication method plugins, and is agnostic to both connection endpoint and method of applying credentials. This means the authentication system can be:

extended with new method plugins modified via method plugins without rebuilding the core program adapted to new connection endpoints for existing or future data providers In QGIS 2.12 the authentication system currently supports username/password and public key infrastructure (PKI) credentials for HTTP, HTTPS and PostgreSQL connections, though it allows for a vast array of methods and endpoints for future consideration. This presentation introduces the new QGIS authentication system, its plugin infrastructure, and how it can be used in secure connections. The presentation will demonstrate crafting a new method plugin to show how easily QGIS can be extended to fit your organization’s authentication requirements. If your adoption of QGIS has raised questions about how to connect to authenticated resources please attend this talk