Information Technology

IdM Definitions


Identity Vetting:  The processes, policies and procedures defined to verify at some level that a person is who they claim to be. This could include in person presentation of identity breeder documents such as government issue pictured credentials, certificates of birth or citizenship etc.

Digital Credentials:  Information that is generally stored electronically in computer systems that is used to validate a person or other system.  Examples would include items such as shared security secrets (userid and password) to asymmetric cryptography information (X.509 public key)

Credential Linking: The processes used to deliver and associate a person or system to a digital credential.  This is usually the weakest part of the security related to shared authentication technology.

Authentication:  The act of presenting and verifying digital credentials to a computer system for the purpose of access. An example would be the act of logging in to an electronic mail service.

Authorization: The process of determining and thereby granting or denying access to a computer, system or electronic resource given that the requesting entity has can be identified.

Provisioning:  The process of loading,  linking or associating digital credentials in a computer system for the purpose of providing services beyond authentication.  Example:  File systems require that access be granted to a digital credential and therefore the system must be configured to allow a credential access to specific files or folders.

Deprovisioning:  The act of removing credentials from a computer system.  This is generally a cleanup process after access by a credential has been removed.

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