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# CBIdentityAuthority

An identity authority is a database that stores information about identities. The `CBIdentityAuthority` class defines one or more identity authorities. You can search this database for identities in conjunction with the `CBIdentity` class factory methods.

```
class CBIdentityAuthority
```

## Topics

### Interacting with the Core Services Identity API

[`CSIdentityAuthority`](/documentation/Collaboration/CBIdentityAuthority/CSIdentityAuthority)

Returns an identity authority for use with the Core Services Identity API.

[`identityAuthorityWithCSIdentityAuthority:`](/documentation/Collaboration/CBIdentityAuthority/identityAuthorityWithCSIdentityAuthority:)

Returns an identity authority specified by a given Core Services Identity authority object.

### Accessing Identity Authorities

[`localizedName`](/documentation/Collaboration/CBIdentityAuthority/localizedName)

Returns the localized name of the identity authority.

[`local()`](/documentation/Collaboration/CBIdentityAuthority/local())

Returns the identity authority on the local system.

[`managed()`](/documentation/Collaboration/CBIdentityAuthority/managed())

Returns the identity authority that contains all the identities in bound network directory servers.

[`default()`](/documentation/Collaboration/CBIdentityAuthority/default())

Returns an identity authority that contains the identities in both the local and the network-bound authorities.


---

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