Re: I-D ACTION:draft-ietf-pkix-roadmap-04.txt

[Ed Gerck <egerck@xxxxxxx>]

Internet-Drafts@ietf.org wrote:

> A New Internet-Draft is available from the on-line Internet-Drafts directories.
> This draft is a work item of the Public-Key Infrastructure (X.509) Working Group of the IETF.
>
>         Title           : Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure PKIX Roadmap
>         Author(s)       : A. Arsenault, S. Turner
>         Filename        : draft-ietf-pkix-roadmap-04.txt
>         Pages           : 40
>         Date            : 22-Oct-99

>From the above draft:

   According to [SIMONETTI], the intent is that the digitalSignature bit
   should be set when what is desired is the ability to sign ephemeral
   transactions; e.g., for a single session authentication. These
   transactions are "ephemeral" in the sense that they are important
   only while they are in existence; after the session is terminated,
   there is no long-term record of the digital signature and its
   properties kept. When something is intended to be kept for some
   period of time, the nonRepudiation bit should be set.

The last phrase finds no support on what was discussed in this WG,
non-repudiation is not a non-ephemeral digital signature.

There are also other instances where the draft finds no support in
the WG discussions, even when it says it has:

    The discussion on the PKIX mailing list has centered on the
   digitalSignature bit and the nonRepudiation bit. The question has
   come down to something like: When support for the service of non-
   repudiation is desired, should both the digitalSignature and
   nonRepudiation bits be set, or just the nonRepudiation bit?

because this question was neither substantive nor representative
of the discussions -- unless "has come down to" means something
else.

Cheers,

Ed Gerck