In computer security, an Authorization Certificate (also known as Attribute Certificate) is a digital document that describes a written permisson from the issuer to use a service or a resource that the issuer controls or has access to use.

The permission can be delegated.

Please see SPKI/SDSI Certificate Documention (http://theworld.com/~cme/html/spki.html) for an example.

This solution prevents the service or resource host from having to use large access control lists. It is similar to the idea of capabilities: store the permission (or permissions) with a protected pointer to the object but not with the object itself.

See also

• Public key certificate
• SAML

External links

• SPKI/SDSI Certificate Documention (http://theworld.com/~cme/html/spki.html)