FW: MIME Security with PGP

[Blake Ramsdell <[e-mail]>]

Some rumblings from the PKIX list about the PGP/MIME integration effort...

Blake
--
Blake C. Ramsdell
DEMING SOFTWARE, INC.
<http://www.deming.com>

>----------
>From: 	[e-mail][SMTP:[e-mail]]
>Sent: 	Tuesday, April 23, 1996 10:37 AM
>To: 	[e-mail]
>Cc: 	[e-mail]
>Subject: 	MIME Security with PGP
>
>The IESG has received a request to consider MIME Security with Pretty
>Good Privacy (PGP) <draft-elkins-pem-pgp-03.txt> as a Proposed
>Standard. This has been reviewed in the IETF but is not the product of an
>IETF Working Group.
>
>The IESG will also consider publication of PGP Message Exchange
>Formats
><draft-atkins-pgpformat-01.txt> as an Informational RFC.
>
>
>The IESG plans to make a decision in the next few weeks, and solicits
>final comments on this action.  Please send any comments to the
>[e-mail] or [e-mail] mailing lists by May 22, 1996.
>
>---------------------
>
>I would oppose creating such a standard, especially because it has not
>been through the normal WG processes where such proposed
>standards are carefully scrutinized.
>
>But over and above whatever technical merits or lack thereof the
>proposed standard might possess, I believe that the introduction of one
>more MIME security standard would lead to even more confusion in the
>industry as to what should be supported.
>
>There is no question that PGP is the single most popular standard for
>encryption and digital signatures in the Internet today. There is also no
>question, at least in my mind, that the whole notion of trust that is
>embedded within PGP is badly flawed, both in theory and in practice.
>
>I believe that the IETF and the IESG must rise above purely technical
>considerations and also address the degree to which a standard in this
>area will be considered (especially by those who are less than fully
>informed about the issues) to be an endorsement of the underlying
>mechanisms and technology. To my mind the incorporation of PGP into
>MIME, even though it would undoubtedly be quite popular, would send
>the wrong message and would have the effect of seriously delaying,
>and perhaps even preventing, the deployment of a high quality system
>such as S/MIME and/or MOSS.
>
>Robert R. Jueneman
>Software Engineering Consultant
>NetWareSecurity R&D
>Novell, Inc. M/S PRV-D241
>122 East 1700 South
>Provo, UT 84606
>801/429-7387
>
>