What is an electronically generated record that ties a user's ID to their public key called?

The concept of an electronically generated record that ties a user's ID to their public key is known as a certificate. In the context of public key infrastructure (PKI), a certificate serves to authenticate the owner's identity by linking it to their public key. This process ensures that when someone uses the public key, they can trust that it indeed belongs to the person or entity it claims to represent.

Certificates are typically issued by a trusted third party called a Certificate Authority (CA). The CA verifies the identity of the individual or organization requesting the certificate and signs the document to indicate that they vouch for its validity. This process is essential in secure communications, enabling encrypted online transactions, secure email exchanges, and other forms of secure data transmission. By providing this linkage between user identity and public key, certificates create a foundation for trust within digital communications.

In contrast, tokens are usually physical or software-based devices that provide a form of authentication but do not inherently link a user ID to a public key in the same manner. An identifier, on the other hand, is a broader term that encompasses any number used to uniquely identify a user but does not imply a secured relationship with a public key. Lastly, a signature typically refers to a cryptographic function that confirms data integrity and