Taxonomy AHG Glossary

Taxonomy AHG Glossary

The following list contains the definitions of the terms approved by the Taxonomy AHG and the IDESG Management Council.

• Attribute: A named quality or characteristic that is claimed to be inherent in or ascribed to someone or something.

• Authentication: Process of determining the validity of one or more credentials used to claim a digital identity.

• Credential: A set of data presented as evidence of a claimed digital identity.

• Digital Identity: An attribute set that can be uniquely distinguished in a given context and can be used for a digital interaction.

• Entity: A thing that exists, e.g., a person, organization, device, software application or service.

• Identifier: Attribute that can be used to distinguish a digital identity.

• Token: Something that the claimant possesses and controls that is used to authenticate the claimant’s digital identity.

Taxonomy AHG In Process Terms

The following list contains the definitions of the terms approved by the Taxonomy AHG and are in process for further approval.

• Anonymous Interaction: An interaction designed such that the data released and collected is not sufficient to infer the entity involved nor is such data sufficient to permit a relying party to associate multiple interactions with the entity.

• Pseudonymous Interaction: An interaction designed such that the data released and collected is not sufficient to infer the entity involved and for which information to permit a relying party to associate multiple interactions with the entity’s claimed identity is released.

Taxonomy AHG Proposed Terms

The following list contains proposed terms and definitions which are currently being considered by the Taxonomy AHG members. To review more details or comment on the proposed terms, please follow the link to each term's associated page. There you will be able to find information on AHG deliberations, sources related to the term, and the overall status of the approval process. There is also a comment option that will allow you to contribute to definition development.

• Applicant:

1. An entity undergoing the processes of registration, enrollment and identity proofing. See Also: Sponsor

• Assigned Name:

1. Name for a Non person entity (NPE) that is assigned by a name issuing authority

• Authority:

1. A trusted entity that issues and revokes trusted information, including credentials and attribute assertion. Note: see also attribute assertion.
2. A trusted entity that creates, issues, maintains and revokes trusted information, including credentials and attributes. (D'Agostino, Krum)

• Claim:

1. An assertion made by a Claimant of the value or values of one or more Identity Attributes of a Digital Subject, typically an assertion which is disputed or in doubt.
2. An assertion made by a Claimant of the value or values of one or more Identity Attributes of a Digital Subject, that has not been validated and verified. (Krum, D'Agostino)

• Claimant:

1. Entity whose identity is to be verified using an authentication protocol.
2. Entity whose identity is to be verified at the identity proofing stage, or confirmed by using an authentication protocol. (Faron, Krum, D'Agostino)

• Credential Service Provider:

1. A trusted entity that issues or registers Subscriber tokens and issues electronic credentials to Subscribers. The CSP may encompass Registration Authorities (RAs) and Verifiers that it operates. A CSP may be an independent third party, or may issue credentials for its own use.
2. An entity that performs identity proofing, registration and issues some form of a subscriber token within some procedural context designed to convey a degree of trust.(Wallace)
3. A trusted entity that issues credentials to Subscribers.(D'Agostino)

• Identity

1. A set of attributes that uniquely distinguishes an entity in context.

• Identity Provider

1. An entity that verifies, maintains, manages, and may create and assign identity information of other entities.
2. An entity that manages identity information. Verification and creation may be done by other parties.(Wallace)
3. An entity that maintains and provides identity information for entities employed or associated within a set context. (D'Agostino, Krum)
4. An entity that verifies authentication and asserts one or more identifiers bound to the authenticated entity.(Fenton)

• Identifying Attribute:

1. One of multiple attributes that together identifies an entity in context.

• Logical Token:

1. A software version of a hardware (physical) token.

• Physical Token

1. A physical device that the claimant possesses and controls that is used to authenticate the claimant’s identity.
2. A physical device containing authorization information, that the claimant possesses and controls, that is used to authenticate the claimant’s identity. (D'Agostino, Krum)

• Pseudonym:

1. Name claimed by a person or organizational entity which is not verified as belonging to the entity.
2. A case where the claimant chooses to actively conceal/protect portions of their identity information. (Wallace)
3. A fictitios name claimed by an entity which is not verifiable as belonging to the entity. (D'Agostino)
4. A ficticious name which is not verifiable as belonging to a specific entity. (Garcia)

• Relying Party:

1. An entity that relies on an identity representation or claim by a requesting/asserting entity within some request context.
2. An entity that authenticates a claimant and provides some service or value.(Wallace)
3. An entity that requests and/or receives information about the identity of an individual or authentication assertions from another party such as an Identity Provider, Credential Service Provider (CSP), or Trusted Broker. (Sal/Krum)
4. An organization that accepts assertions of identity or attributes. (Garcia)

• Sponsor:

1. A human performing enrollment processes on behalf of a non-person entity.

• Subscriber:

1. An entity who has received a credential from a Credential Service Provider (CSP).

• Unique Identifier:

1. Single attribute that uniquely identifies an entity in context.

• Verified Name:

1. Name whose value is verified to be the entity's legal name.

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