Systems, methods, computer-readable media and application program
interfaces are disclosed for enabling server applications to verify
purported authentication information, such as passwords, provided by
clients in connection with server access requests by leveraging trusted
credentials maintained by separate trusted authorities. In some cases,
the server applications may lack trusted credentials that may be used to
verify the purported authentication information. In those cases, the
server applications may identify security principal accounts managed by
the separate trusted authorities for which the provided authentication
information may be purported to be valid for by the requesting clients.
Further, the server applications may request the separate trusted
authorities to authenticate the purported authentication information
before granting access to the requesting clients. In other cases, the
server applications may maintain locally trusted credentials that may be
used to verify the provided authentication information without involving
the separate trusted authorities.