Subject: Re: A Real Rationale for Dedicated Keys

From: "David P. Kemp" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 14:06:26 -0400 (EDT)

> From: Aram Perez <[email-masked]>
>
> > The key generation device has its own private key and signs the cert request
> > for the newly generated user key pair. The CA then knows that the key pair
> > originated in a device it (the CA) trusts and probably provides as part of
> > its service. The CA certifies the public key of the device so it can verify
> > the device's cert requests.
> 
> I'll restate my question: If the CA does not physically see the device that
> generates the key pair, how can the CA know "that the key pair originated in
> a device it (the CA) trusts"? And if the CA provides the device "as part of
> its service", then I have to physically show up to get the device and
> participate in the key generation process.

If company X produces such a device, using designs and processes that
have been evaluated, company X can give the device public key to
the CA.  The CA then knows, to the extent that the CA trusts the
manufacturing process, that any cert request including the device
signature could have come from nowhere else.  Even if the devices were
distributed in cereal boxes (with no link to a specific human) there is
assurance that user keypairs cannot be extracted or replicated.

> > Much more likely is that the owner *will* show up to the CA or one of its
> > RAs to get a NR certificate. Anything less will probably fail to meet the
> > legal requirements for NR and be worth no more than a NR=0 cert.
> 
> While I mostly agree, what you are stating is impractical. Very few will use
> digital signatures that "meet the legal requirements for NR" if they have to
> physically show up to the CA.

The U.S. postal service once wanted to be the CA for the masses; maybe
7-11 or Exxon could take over that job :-).  User takes his cereal box
token to the corner gas station, the operator looks at his driver's license
and notarizes the cert request.

---

From: Tony Bartoletti <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 11:51:31 -0700

>and notarizes the cert request.

I LIKE IT! (LOL)

___tony___

Tony Bartoletti 925-422-3881 <[email-masked]>
Information Operations, Warfare and Assurance Center
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore, CA 94551-9900