[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Photuris Terminology
> From: rivest@theory.lcs.mit.edu (Ron Rivest)
> ** Signature-Choice --> Authentication-Choice
> ** Signature --> Authentication-Value
> ** Certificate --> Authentication-Descriptor
>
Seems reasonable. But since we already use the term Authentication for
the AH, a completely different methodology, I prefer to use another
term, such as Identification. Fits well with the metaphor: privacy
hides identification and attributes.
I've renamed the phase to Identification, too.
I've changed Anonymity to Privacy.
BTW, this took three hours! (sigh) No real change to the protocol,
just finding all the variants, leading a/an, etc.
> We have enough confusion in this field without abusing standard terminology.
> Presumably this arose since the original work [DOW] only envisioned
> public-key signature methods, and then the use of MAC's was later added
> to Photuris.
>
I seem to have to repeat this fairly regularly: we never heard of STS
until this Spring. Not everyone reads obscure Dutch publications....
We do read widely distributed books with lots of code, and I suspect
that Schneier definitions will overtake and become "standard
terminology".
Actually, the very first implementation used MD5 hashing. Phil is only
now adding PGP certificates.
For network folks, MACs are an entirely different beast (Media Access
Control). And since network terms have a tendency to make it into the
popular lexicon (including the term networking itself), I do hope your
"MAC" goes away soon....
Actually, I hope both "MAC"s go away soon. "Link" is a much better term.
Mac is a machine, short for Macintosh....
Bill.Simpson@um.cc.umich.edu
Key fingerprint = 2E 07 23 03 C5 62 70 D3 59 B1 4F 5E 1D C2 C1 A2