From: Jack Bzoza <jbzoza@io.org>
Date: Mon, 9 May 94 21:31:41 PDT
To: Augustine Lo <augustine-lo@cuhk.hk>
Subject: Re: [ Secure Mosaic]
In-Reply-To: <199404261449.KAA09085@thumper.bellcore.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9405080926.B3770-0100000@r-node.io.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


On Tue, 26 Apr 1994, Augustine Lo wrote:

> To successfully combine simplicity of operation and key administration
> functions with a high level of security that can be accessible to even
> non-sophisticated users, significant changes were necessary for
> existing WWW security protocols. EIT developed a new protocol called
> Secure-HTTP for dealing with a full range of modern cryptographic
> algorithms and systems in the Web.
> 
> Secure-HTTP enables incorporation of a variety of cryptographic
> standards, including, but not limited to, RSA's PKCS-7, and Internet
> Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM), and supports maximal interoperation
> between clients and servers using different cryptographic
> algorithms. Cryptosystem and signature system interoperation is
> particularly useful between U.S. residents and non-U.S. residents,
> where the non-U.S. residents may have to use weaker 40-bit keys in
> conjunction with RSA's RC2 (TM) and RC4 (TM) variable keysize
> ciphers. EIT intends to publish Secure-HTTP as an Internet standard,
> and work with others in the WWW community to create a standard that
> will encourage using the Web for a wide variety of commercial
> transactions.
> 
> Availability
> 
> EIT will make Secure NCSA Mosaic software available at no charge to
> CommerceNet members in September and NCSA will incorporate these
> secure features in future NCSA Mosaic releases.
> 

How likely is it that these specs will be publicly available so that 
others can build client front ends to this application?

Thanks