What is "secd" process on OSX (Yosemite)

I wonder what secd process does under OSX Yosemite. I am pretty sure I have seen this process running in earlier MacOS versions, but I don't remember it gobbling up all the available memory so boldly...

I have three computers running Yosemite, each with a different config. All three have been up for a duration of three days to one week. Here is a run down of what secd has achieved:

• On MacBookAir 2011 with 4GB of memory, 700MB allocated to secd


• On iMac 2008 with 6GB of memory, 2GB allocated to secd


• On iMac 2011 with 12GB of memory, 4GB allocated to secd

On all three computers secd is the largest process in memory (larger than kernel task) and I suspect it plays a role in the slowdown I have recently experienced with the arrival of Yosemite. I know for sure that the process expands in memory to inordinate sizes and frees up memory when I need it somewhere else. The only issue is that it is not as quick in freeing up memory and most of the time performance suffers before the process realizes it has to retreat.

My search around the web didn't come to a solid conclusion as for what the process is, and why it should be so huge. I guess I am not the only one experiencing this. Any tip is appreciated.