# kSecClassIdentity The value that indicates an identity item. ``` let kSecClassIdentity: CFString ``` ## Discussion An identity is a certificate paired with its associated private key. Keychain services stores the certificate and the private key separately; it represents the pair as an identity if the certificate’s [`kSecAttrPublicKeyHash`](/documentation/Security/kSecAttrPublicKeyHash) attribute matches the key’s [`kSecAttrApplicationLabel`](/documentation/Security/kSecAttrApplicationLabel) attribute. Because an identity is the combination of a private key and a certificate, this class shares attributes of both [`kSecClassKey`](/documentation/Security/kSecClassKey) and [`kSecClassCertificate`](/documentation/Security/kSecClassCertificate). Multiple certificates can all attest the identity of the same private key, so the attributes that form an identity’s composite primary key are the same as those for a certificate. The set of identity items available to your app in the keychain can change without explicitly adding, updating, or deleting identity items. For example, if the keychain contains a cryptographic key item and certificate item that form an identity and you delete the key, the identity no longer exists. --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)