Re: [Secdispatch] [EXTERNAL] Re: IETF117 - Call for topics

[Stephen Farrell <[e-mail]>]

Hiya,

On 23/06/2023 10:29, Yoav Nir wrote:
> 
> 
>> On 22 Jun 2023, at 21:06, Stephen Farrell
>> <[e-mail]> wrote:
>> On 22/06/2023 19:01, Mike Ounsworth wrote:
>>> I also support a BoF about hybrid signatures.
>> 
>> FWIW: I would not support the above. The BoF I think we need would
>> address evolving PKI in the face of a CRQC.
>> 
>> Discussion of hybrid signatures would be a part of that, but just a
>> part.
> 
> That’s not going to happen. If everything’s in scope then the BoF
> will discuss everything all at once, and take forever and not reach
> any conclusions.

Of course, an ocean-boiling BoF is always possible, but
I don't think one on how to evolve PKI in the face of a
possible CRQC is likely to be that.

> I think a BoF about hybrid signatures is appropriate as long as one
> of the topics is “do we really need them?”

So one of the problems with that is it'd be about a
specific mechanism that may or may not form part of
a sensible response to the possibility of a CRQC but
it'd omit consideration of the systemic impacts of
adopting such signatures, esp. in PKI and in other
protocols that make use of PKI. We'd also be passing
up the very rare opportunity to consider significant
changes to PKI that might actually get deployed, which
I think would be fairly unwise of us.

Cheers,
S.

> 
> Yoav
> 
> 
> 
>