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PKI Update. September 2002 CSG Meeting Jim Jokl jaj@Virginia.EDU. Public Key Infrastructure. Basis - a pair of cryptographically related keys are generated Your public and private keys Usage Data encrypted using a public key can only be decrypted with the matching private key
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PKI Update September 2002 CSG Meeting Jim Jokl jaj@Virginia.EDU
Public Key Infrastructure • Basis - a pair of cryptographically related keys are generated • Your public and private keys • Usage • Data encrypted using a public key can only be decrypted with the matching private key • Data signed by a private key can only be verified by the matching public key
Public Key Infrastructure: Digital Certificates • A certificate is: • An object signed by a Certification Authority (CA) • Binds a user’s identity to their public key • Contains some attributes about the person • Contains some information about the CA • Level of assurance • How well did the CA identify the person? • How is the CA run? • Who vouches for the CA?
Public Key Infrastructure: Policy and Practices • How is the CA run? • Certification Policy & Practices documents • Registration Authority (RA) operation • Who vouches for the CA? • Relying parties • Trust hierarchies • Certificate chains and root certificates
Some reasons campuses are deploying PKI • Authentication • Client certificates for Web application authentication • VPN authentication & EAP-TLS for wireless • Higher assurance / two-factor authentication • Digital signatures & business applications • Signed and encrypted email - S/MIME • SSL server certificates • etc
Higher Education PKI Activities - HEPKI • Sponsors • Internet2, EDUCAUSE, CREN, NET@EDU • HEPKI - Technical Activities Group (TAG) • Open-source PKI software • Certificate profiles • Directory / PKI interaction • Validity periods • Client customization issues • Mobility • Inter-institution test projects • Technical issues with cross-certification
Some Drivers for Campus S/MIME Support • Prevent email spoofing • Problems with forged email • Students canceling classes, impersonating professors, etc • Official announcements • Anti-spam filter bypass? • Business processes • Protect sensitive messages & documents • Signed messages • S/MIME-based applications
S/MIME Project • Two project phases: • User to user • Application-to-user, user-to-application • Client interoperability testing • Common signing and encryption algorithms • Dual-key support • LDAP support • Issues documentation • Mailing list software, encryption: folders, escrow, cc: repository
Some Potential S/MIME Applications • Mailing lists: access and expansion of encrypted messages • Travel expense reports & direct deposit notification • Online forms routing – signed workflow • Trouble ticket submissions • Password resets • Library notices – guard circulation data • Timesheet submission • Student debit card & long distance billing privacy • FERPA opt-in/opt-out • Sysadmin confirmation of batch jobs
Certificate Profiles • A per-field description of certificate content • Standard and extension fields • Criticality flags • Syntax of values permitted per field • Spreadsheet & text formats • Higher education profile repository • http://middleware.internet2.edu/certprofiles
PKI-liteFull function but lightweight • A normal PKI technical infrastructure • Authenticate users • Issue certificates, perhaps revoke certificates • A comparatively simple certificate profile • Support applications, directories, etc • A lightweight administrative/policy structure • Supports applications without high assurance needs • One or two page certification policy • Assurance levels per existing campus practice • Campus evolution towards full featured PKI
PKI-lite Project Status • PKI-lite certificate profiles completed • Designed to support web authentication & S/MIME • End Entity profile • CA certificate profile • PKI-lite Policy and Practices Statement • Individual documents prepared – then merged • Reviewed by many people • Template-based fill in the blanks approach • Certificate repository started
Some other work in progress • Hardware tokens • Mobility • Private key protection • Two-factor authentication • Signing tools • Web & client-based • The active content problem • Other items • Root cert downloads, PKI in XP, docs, demo CA projects, information sharing, etc
Where to watch • middleware.internet2.edu/hepki-tag • www.educause.edu/hepki • middleware.internet2.edu/hepki-tag/smime • www.cren.net/ca • NET@EDU PKI for Networked Higher Ed • www.educause.edu/netatedu/groups/pki • PKI Labs • middleware.internet2.edu/pkilabs