anonymous credential
A credential that (a) can be used to authenticate a person as having a specific attribute or being a member of a specific group (e.g., military veterans or U.S. citizens) but (b) does not reveal the individual identity of the person that presents the credential. [M0404] (See: anonymity.)
Senses
(D) /U.S. Government/
A credential that (a) can be used to authenticate a person as having a specific attribute or being a member of a specific group (e.g., military veterans or U.S. citizens) but (b) does not reveal the individual identity of the person that presents the credential. [M0404] (See: anonymity.)
Deprecated Term: IDOCs SHOULD NOT use this term; it mixes concepts in a potentially misleading way. For example, when the credential is an X.509 certificate, the term could be misunderstood to mean that the certificate was signed by a CA that has a persona certificate. Instead, use "attribute certificate", "organizational certificate", or "persona certificate" depending on what is meant, and provide additional explanations as needed.
- IETF RFC 4949 (Internet Security Glossary)Jan 06, 2026RFC 4949 — Internet Security Glossary (Version 2)https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc4949.txtRFC 4949 is published by the IETF Trust and marked as "Distribution of this memo is unlimited". Verify IETF Trust copyright/licensing terms for reuse.Source: IETF RFC 4949 (rfc-editor.org).