Re: [saag] Fwd: Last Call: <draft-dukhovni-opportunistic-security-01.txt> (Opportunistic Security: some protection most of the time) to Informational RFC

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Dear colleagues:

One of my concerns with Optimistic Encryption is that it may have as side effect that it may be tempting for implementers to move from secure and authentic channel set-up to just encrypted (but unauthenticated) channels, since it - how convenient - removes the need for any admin... I can already see arguments about why one should spend money on authentication support if the attack window is so small, etc., akin to discussions I have seen rampant in industrial control settings, where some people have argued that communicating symmetric keys wirelessly over the air for bootstrapping is okay, "since nobody would listen in anyway". I think this is a major risk.

If this "substitution risk" would materialize, we might actually lower the bar and set back the clock nearly 40 years, since realizing encrypted, unauthenticated channels already proposed in the 1976 paper on "New Directions in Cryptography".

Shouldn't one at least add some more extensive verbiage about security policy enforcement? After all, reason to do authentication would be to have some evidence on the party one is communicating with and can then arrive at more fine-grained conclusions as to authorization and scope hereof, based on that evidence.

The the day-to-day risk for security architectures may be increase of admin cost if there would ever be a lifecycle event after initial provisioning and where lack of authentication may really hurt.

Rene

On 7/8/2014 11:34 AM, Stephen Farrell wrote:
IETF LC started as promised.

Cheers,
S.


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Last Call: <draft-dukhovni-opportunistic-security-01.txt>
(Opportunistic Security: some protection most of the time) to
Informational RFC
Date: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 08:09:40 -0700
From: The IESG <iesg-secretary@xxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: ietf@xxxxxxxx
To: IETF-Announce <ietf-announce@xxxxxxxx>


The IESG has received a request from an individual submitter to consider
the following document:
- 'Opportunistic Security: some protection most of the time'
   <draft-dukhovni-opportunistic-security-01.txt> as Informational RFC

The IESG plans to make a decision in the next few weeks, and solicits
final comments on this action. Please send substantive comments to the
ietf@xxxxxxxx mailing lists by 2014-08-05. Exceptionally, comments may be
sent to iesg@xxxxxxxx instead. In either case, please retain the
beginning of the Subject line to allow automated sorting.

Abstract


    This memo defines the term "opportunistic security".  In contrast to
    the established approach of delivering strong protection some of the
    time, opportunistic security strives to deliver at least some
    protection most of the time.  The primary goal is therefore broad
    interoperability, with security policy tailored to the capabilities
    of peer systems.




The file can be obtained via
http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-dukhovni-opportunistic-security/

IESG discussion can be tracked via
http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-dukhovni-opportunistic-security/ballot/


No IPR declarations have been submitted directly on this I-D.

This document and a predecessor have been the subject of discussion
on the saag mailing list. [1]

     [1] https://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/saag/current/maillist.html






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