Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 22:32:13 -0400
From: Rich Salz <>
SSL/TLS -- so perhaps saying "use ssl
if you're worried about tcp bitrot" is the way to go.
Unfortunately, SSL/TLS also requires that key material be generated
and set up. Also, if we're going to do this at all, it seems like
doing it end-to-end is best for the usual reasons (ref. classic paper
by Saltzer et. al.) and because you'd like to get the benefits of
error-checking even if you go through a path of intermediates in which
some hops aren't done via SSL/TLS.
It ends up being an awful lot of work. Are there any other IETF-spec'd
TCP-based services that do this?
I think the MIME level looks like the right place to put the
error-detecting information. Unfortunately, the MIME type we want
does not seem to be standardized. RFC 1847 appears to deal with
signatures and encryption but not just plain message digests.
I didn't look into S/MIME; the whole idea of using both XMLDSIG and
S/MIME in the same protocol boggles my mind...
