SAML Assertions have an optional signature that can be used to protect and provide the origination of the assertion. These signatures are normally based on asymmetric key operations and require that the verifier be able to check not only the cryptographic operation but also the binding of the originator's name and the public key. In a federated environment, it will not always be possible for the RP to validate the binding; for this reason, the technical trust established in the federation is used as an alternate method of validating the origination and integrity of the SAML Assertion.