[comp.protocols.iso] kerberos and ISO protocol standards

NESSETT@CCC.NMFECC.GOV (12/09/89)

There has been a fair number of messages on the kerberos mailing-list that 
suggest using kerberos with ISO standards.  The following is an example.
Would anyone on the ISO discussion list care to comment on this concept?
Please also copy your comments to kerberos@athena.mit.edu.

Dan Nessett

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From:	barlow@DECWET.ENET.DEC.COM (Repatriated Treehugger)
Subject: Re:  kerberos application to OSI
Date:	Fri, 8 Dec 89 14:10:51 -0500
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Lloyd Spencer writes:

      > I would whole-heartedly support the incorporation of a Kerberos-like
      > services into FTAM, for example.  The current unencoded password
      > scheme is rather poor, and therefore leaves me to conclude that any
      > proposed security scheme is better than none (well, in effect none).
      > Although it is not my intention to be unduly critical of the FTAM
      > specification nor its proponents, I would like to see more attention
      > given to security.
      >
      > Similarly, I would like to know whether there is an effort to
      > integrate a Kerberos-like service with OSI application services, such
      > as FTAM, for example?  We (i.e. Novell) would be interested in
      > assisting and/or following up on this area since security is a key
      > concern (yes, even in the area of OSI).

    Note that the password encoding within FTAM is expressed as

        Password ::= [APPLICATION 17] CHOICE {
            GraphicString,
            OCTET STRING }

    The octet string encoding choice was explicitly placed there for future
    use of better authentication techniques than graphicstring passwords.
    Stick your Kerberos ticket in there, and you've got strong
    authentication, and are completely ISO conformant!

Doug Barlow
Ex ANSI FTAM Rapporteur
Digital Equipment Corporation

lloyd@na.excelan.com (Lloyd Spencer) (12/15/89)

According to Dan Nesset:

> In the case of security in distributed systems, there is already a standard
> that provides a foundation upon which can be built systems with the
> functionality of kerberos.  This is the X.509 standard, which forms part of
> the X.500 directory service standard, and which uses public-key encryption to
> sign 'certificates' binding a user's name with a public-key.  Implementations
> of X.509 are in approximately the same stage of development as kerberos,
> although slightly behind.

Who is a contact to obtain information on the current X.509 efforts?

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Lloyd Spencer
Novell, Inc.
Product Marketing
2180 Fortune Drive
San Jose, CA  95131

Phone   : (408) 473-8242
UUCP    : {ames,sun,apple,amdahl,mtxinu,cae780}!excelan!lloyd
Internet: lloyd@excelan.com
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