Patent ID: 8015596

Claim:
A method of providing a personal credential store for a networked computer system user, comprising: accepting a plurality of search tags, through an application programming interface, wherein each of said plurality of search tags indicates a corresponding one of a plurality of application programs and a type of request to be performed with an obtained credential by said corresponding one of said plurality of application programs; searching a plurality of physical credential stores responsive to a received one of said plurality of search tags to obtain at least one credential from said plurality of physical credential stores, wherein said obtained credential meets requirements of one of said application programs indicated by said received one of said plurality of search tags to perform said type of request indicated by said received one of said plurality of search tags; wherein said one of said application programs indicated by said received one of said plurality of search tags is an electronic mail program; wherein said type of request to be performed indicated by said received one of said plurality of search tags is verification of an incoming electronic mail message; wherein said received one of said plurality of search tags has a value comprising an electronic mail address of a sender of said incoming electronic mail message; and wherein said verification of said incoming electronic mail message includes directly searching, responsive to said received one of said plurality of search tags having said value comprising said electronic mail address of said sender of said incoming electronic mail message, for a digital certificate of said sender of said incoming electronic mail message.