[10660] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: authentication protocols
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (bear)
Fri Mar 29 16:23:51 2002
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2002 16:07:06 -0800 (PST)
From: bear <bear@sonic.net>
To: John Saylor <johns@worldwinner.com>
Cc: cryptography@wasabisystems.com
In-Reply-To: <20020325181404.D18079@johns.worldwinner.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.40.0203281552300.3169-100000@newbolt.sonic.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
On Mon, 25 Mar 2002, John Saylor wrote:
>I'd like to find an authentication protocol that fits my needs:
>1. 2 [automated] parties
>2. no trusted 3rd party intemediary ['Trent' in _Applied_Crypto_]
"Authentication" relative to what?
All identity, and therefore all authentication, derives from
some kind of consensus idea of who a person is. With no third
party, it is hard to check a consensus.
Usually authentication comes down to checking a credential. But
that implies some third party that issued the credential.
So, the pertinent question becomes, what is identity? For purposes
of your application, I mean -- no point to go off on philosophical
tangents. Answer that, and maybe there'll be a protocol that you
can use.
Bear
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