Subject: New ID: draft-gerck-pkix-revocation-00.txt

From: Ed Gerck <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 17:55:46 -0700

A New Internet-Draft is available from the on-line Internet-Drafts directories.
This draft is an individual submission in reference to the Public-Key Infrastructure
(X.509) Working Group of the IETF.

	Title		: Certificate Revocation Revisited
	Author(s)	: E. Gerck
	Filename	: draft-gerck-pkix-revocation-00.txt
	Pages		: 17
	Date		: 2004-5-24

ABSTRACT:	
PKIX certificate revocation protocols are primarily described in RFC3280.
This Document revisits limitations on determining the revocation status
of a certificate. Ambiguous aspects of revocation and revocation delegation
are resolved. An objective point of view is introduced as a reference
that does not depend on the observer (e.g., the RP). The revocation
status of a certificate issued by a conforming CA is shown to be always
well-defined from a relying party's point of view -- i.e., it is
unambiguous (revoked or not revoked) and ultimately determinable at any
period in time. The limitations on determining the revocation status of
a certificate have nothing to do with the eventual result of the
determination process by a relying party. The limitations have to do
with the efforts for that determination, which may require a large
(actually unspecified) amount of time and work. Some practices are also
suggested, allowing a relying party to determine the revocation status
of a certificate with higher reliability in less time. The same
considerations apply to determinations of status "change" processes,
including certificateHold and removefromCRL.

A URL for this Internet-Draft is:
http://ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-gerck-pkix-revocation-00.txt

Comments are welcome.

Cheers,
Ed Gerck