Digitally signing documents using identity context information

In a computing environment a method of facilitating selection of a token for use by an entity when digitally signing documents, the method comprising:

• accessing a collection of security tokens, wherein each security token makes assertions by an identity provider where the assertions are based on:
• information in a digital identity representation, wherein the digital identity representation comprises information identifying identity attributes about an entity and capabilities of an identity provider that provides tokens for use by the entity, wherein the information identifying capabilities of the identity provider includes at least one of an indication of the identity of the identity provider and what assertions the identity provider can make, and
• information related to at least a portion of context information, wherein the context information includes information about which, how and where the attributes for the entity identified in the digital identity representation will be used, wherein the attributes are contained within the digital identity representation, and the context information including information about a document signing event which is associated with circumstances surrounding the signing of the document, comprising, a type of document to be signed, and a type of authority needed to sign the document;
• determining a context for a document that is to be signed using one of the security tokens in the collection of security tokens;
• determining that the context matches the context information in one or more security tokens in the collection of security tokens;
• and
• displaying representations of the one or more security tokens to a user in a user interface that allows the user to select security tokens, including displaying the representations of the one or more security tokens such that a user can readily determine that the security tokens include context information that matches the context.

In a computing environment, a method of evaluating document signatures and tokens used to sign the document, the method comprising:

• receiving a document signed by a token, the token comprising:
• identity attributes, wherein the identity attributes comprise information in a digital identity representation, wherein the digital identity representation comprises information identifying identity attributes about an entity and capabilities of an identity provider that provides tokens for use by the entity, wherein the information identifying capabilities of the identity provider includes at least one of an indication of the identity of the identity provider and what assertions the identity provider can make;
• context attributes, wherein the context attributes comprise information related to at least a portion of context information, wherein the context information includes information about which, how and where the attributes for the entity identified in the digital identity representation will be used, and the context information including information about a document signing event which is associated with circumstances surrounding the signing of the document, comprising, a type of document to be signed, and a type of authority needed to sign the document;
• and
• determining that the document is a validly signed document by determining that the context information in the token and the identity information in the token are pertinent to the use of the signature for signing the document.