Patent ID: 8046585

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: submitting, by a client computing device, a user query pertaining to an attribute from a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) repository entry, the query indicating a request for an attribute certificate to be generated for the attribute, the attribute being one of a plurality of attributes of the LDAP repository entry; in response to the user query, receiving, by the client computing device, a message including an attribute value of the attribute of the LDAP repository entry and the attribute certificate comprising a digital signature generated in response to the user query to permit authentication of the attribute value of the attribute of the LDAP repository entry; and verifying, by the client computing device, that the received digital signature generated in response to the user query authenticates the attribute value of the attribute of the LDAP repository entry, wherein verifying the digital signature comprises: hashing the attribute value to produce an attribute hash; hashing an identifier of the attribute value and the attribute hash to produce a new signature; and determining that the received digital signature verifies the attribute value if the new signature matches the received digital signature.