Importance

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Abstract

The invention provides techniques for validating security credentials locally within an enterprise. For example, a trust server within the enterprise intercepts a validation request from a secure electronic email service being used by a client within the enterprise. The trust server accesses security credential information, which may be maintained in a directory, to answer for the validation request. When the trust server is unable to answer the validation request, the trust server queries a bridge service provider, which associates the trust server with trust servers maintained by other enterprises, for the security credential information necessary for validation. The bridge service provider forwards the query to the appropriate one the trust servers of another enterprise. The trust server of the other enterprise returns the necessary security credential information, which the bridge service provider relays to the querying trust server for validation.

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First Claim