摘要 |
The method comprises authenticating a user digital certificate 612 generated by an issuing certification authority and creating a shortcut certificate (700 fig.7) for the digital certificate 612 of the issuing certification authority when the digital certificate 612 of the issuing certification authority is authenticated. The shortcut certificate (700 fig.7) comprises a signed entry of an authentication of the issuing certification authority. The issuing certification authority may belong to a hierarchy of certification authorities 618, 620, 622 and each certification authority in a chain of parent certification authorities is validated to authenticate the digital certificate 612 of the issuing certification authority. The shortcut certificate (700 fig.7) may comprise a cached entry of an identifier of each certification authority in the chain. The method may include accessing a resource of an agent device 602a, e.g. permission to open a point of access, through authentication of the user digital certificate 612 and the shortcut certificate (700 fig.7) is transmitted to other agent devices 602b, 602c, 602d within a class of other agent devices. |