Attribute Authority

An entity, recognized by the Federal Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Policy Authority or comparable Agency body as having the authority to verify the association of attributes to an identity.

1. In computer security, an entity that is trusted by at least two entities to create and assign attribute certificates. [After X9.45] 2. An authority recognized in a security domain as a trusted source of attributes for entities within the domain. (See also Subject Authority) [ECMA138].