Credential

Owned by David Doret
Last updated: 14-03-2021
2 min read

Credential

Alternative Forms

  • Attestation

  • Security Credential

Definitions

Definition 1 Computer Science IAM Information Security Physical Security Security

A data structure that is a collection of identity attributes and assertions that vouches for the identity of an entity through some method of trust and authentication.

Credential may be logical or physical. The authorizations granted on the basis of the credential may also be logical or physical.

Credential may be temporary or permanent.

Logical credential examples:

  • Password

  • PIN

  • Public Key Certificate

Physical credential examples:

  • Biometrics

  • Certificates

  • Driving License

  • ID Cart

  • Passport

  • SIM Card

Examples

  • In front of the login screen, Alice couldn’t remember her password. She sworn against this obsolete class of credential and daydreamed on how wonderful a passwordless world would be.

Illustrations

The conceptual diagram of credential

Related Terms

  • Physical Credential

  • PIN

  • Public Key Certificate

  • Session

  • Temporary Credential

  • Ticket

  • Verifiable Claim

Quotes

Credential: A document, object, or data structure that vouches for the identity of a person through some method of trust and authentication. Common types of identity credentials include—but are not limited to—ID cards, certificates, numbers, passwords, or SIM cards. A biometric identifier can also be used as a credential once it has been registered with the identity provider

(World Bank Group and GPFI, 2018, p. vii)

A credential is typically a collection of identity attributes and assertions about a specific subject issued by an identity provider

(https://open-measure.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/QUOT/pages/67633460)

The evidence provided by a user in the process of user authentication is called a credential. Different systems may require different types of credentials to ascertain user identity, and may even require more than one credential. In computer systems, the credential very often takes the form of a user password, which is a secret known only to the individual and the system. Credentials may take other forms, however, including PIN numbers, certificates, tickets, etc.

(Todorov, 2007, p. 5)

Bibliography

See Also

 

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