Re: Non-repudiation (was RE: The PAIN mnemonic)

Carl Ellison wrote:

> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-cryptography@xxxxxxxxxxxx 
> > [mailto:owner-cryptography@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Stefan Kelm
> > Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2003 1:44 AM
> > To: cryptography@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: Re: Non-repudiation (was RE: The PAIN mnemonic)
>
>
> > Ah. That's why they're trying to rename the corresponding keyUsage bit
> > to "contentCommitment" then:
> >
> >  http://www.pki-page.info/download/N12599.doc
> >
> > :-)
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> >         Stefan.
>
>
> Maybe, but that page defines it as:
>
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> contentCommitment: for verifying digital signatures which are intended to
> signal that the signer is committing to the content being signed. The
> precise level of commitment, e.g. "with the intent to be bound" may be
> signaled by additional methods, e.g. certificate policy.
>
> Since a content commitment signing is considered to be a digitally signed
> transaction, the digitalSignature bit need not be set in the certificate. If
> it is set, it does not affect the level of commitment the signer has endowed
> in the signed content.
>
> Note that it is not incorrect to refer to this keyUsage bit using the
> identifier nonRepudiation. However, the use this identifier has been
> deprecated. Regardless of the identifier used, the semantics of this bit are
> as specified in this standard.
>
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> Which still refers to the "signer" having an "intent to be bound".  One can
> not bind a key to anything, legally, so the signer here must be a human or
> organization rather than a key.  It is that unjustifiable linkage from the
> actions of a key to the actions of one or more humans that needs to be
> eradicated from the literature.

This is going a little far, isn't it? If the human controls the setting 
of the bit, then it is signalling their intent.

Cheers,

Ben.

--
http://www.apache-ssl.org/ben.html       http://www.thebunker.net/

"There is no limit to what a man can do or how far he can go if he
doesn't mind who gets the credit." - Robert Woodruff

---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Cryptography Mailing List
Unsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe cryptography" to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxx