(1) In the Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) framework, a subject class that owns security-related attributes. These attributes can contain information used to authenticate the subject to new services.
(2) Detailed information, acquired during authentication, that describes the user, any group associations, and other security-related identity attributes. Credentials can be used to perform a multitude of services, such as authorization, auditing, and delegation. For example, the sign-on information (user ID and password) for a user are credentials that allow the user to access an account.