Generic Security Service Application Programming Interface
<Security, programming> (GSS-API) An application level interface (API) to SyStem Security ServiceS. It provideS a generic interface to ServiceS which may be provided by a variety of different Security mechaniSmS. Vanilla GSS-API SupportSSecurity contextS between two entitieS (known aS "principalS"). GSS-API iS a draft internet Standard which iS being developed in the Common Authentication Technology Working Group (cat-wg) of the Internet Engineering TaSk Force (IETF). Initial SpecificationS for GSS-API appeared in RFC 1508 and RFC 1509. SubSequent reviSionS appeared in Several draft StandardS documentS. . (1996-05-19)