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Re: distributed keys
Since no one seemed to mention them, check out Photuris and SKIP.
Both are key management proposals for IPsec.
Adam
Matt Smith wrote:
|
|
| Has anyone heard of an algorithm for managing keys automatically in a
| distributed system?
|
| For instance, if some low level security were to be implemented in a
| a networking stack where authentication was to be implemented, you would want
| to have each node have it's own signature so that signature checking can
| take place when one node connects to another node. The trick is then
| getting every node's keys distributed to every other node.
|
| Here are some ideas that I had, but neither is very desireable:
|
| - Manual distribution. User configures every node's key into every node.
| Configuration becomes a major hassle and mistakes are a pain to debug.
| An advantagous side effect is the user can configure which machines can
| talk to which machines if they're feeling particularly facist.
|
| - At connection time, each node determines whether or not it has the other
| node's key. If not, a symmetric key is generated via DH and public keys
| are exchanged. The problem comes in if someone is spoofing the machine
| to begin with. Then you'll have the wrong public key. Chicken, egg.
| Egg, chicken.
|
| - Having a certifying node which every other node has the public key to and
| who has everyone else's public key. Requests are made of this server.
| The trick is making this server secure and forcing the user to devote
| resources to this endeavour.
|
| Thoughts?
|
| --
| Matt Smith - [email protected]
| "Nothing travels faster than light, with the possible exception of bad news,
| which follows its own rules." - Douglas Adams, "Mostly Harmless"
| Disclaimer: I came up with these ideas, so they're MINE!
|
--
"It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once."
-Hume