Credential

A credential is an object which enables a system to make an authentication decision: for example, to decide whether to sign a user into an account.

In web security, types of credential include:

• a password
• biometric data
• a token entered from a one-time SMS code
• the key used to make authentication assertions in a public-key system such as Web Authentication

The Credential Management API enables developers to create, store, and retrieve various types of credential.

See also

• RFC 4949: Internet Security Glossary