| 摘要 |
<p>A system and method facilitates reliance among members (12a, 12b) of a community that communicates electronically. Each member (12a, 12b) has a private credential for use in a computing environment. Each member (12a, 12b) obtains the credential in accordance with a credential-issuance process. The process need not include a certification authority. Credentials may be generated directly by the members themselves. The system includes a database (22) that contains at least one credential entry for each member. The system also includes a management process with authority to sanction (e.g. approve) reliance by the community on a member's credential. Such sanction authority is separate from the credential-issuance process. The system also includes a rule set defining a scope of reliance the community may make on a member's credential.</p> |
