From: gw <geeman@best.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 1996 17:38:12 +0800
To: "Rev. Ben" <samman-ben@CS.YALE.EDU>
Subject: Re: anonymous age credentials, sharing of
Message-ID: <199602160754.XAA17607@news1.best.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 04:24 PM 2/15/96 -0500, you wrote:
>On Thu, 15 Feb 1996, gw wrote:
>
>> the People, want to support permanently binding a traceable, non-anonymous
>> identity to all certificate attributes that are used in electronic exchange
>> (age, etc...) then there is going to be the potential for someone to
>> deliberately allow their credential to be misused.
>> 
>> IMO, to prevent this totally would require implanting a non-forgable i.d.
>> chip in everyone at birth ..... not very appealing.
>

>And even then, what about the people that undergo surgery to swap chips?
>

Seems less likely ... you would need qualified surgeon, etc. ... my
suspicion is that biometric devices are actually more susceptible to bypass .

>The only REAL way of authentication is biometrics.  Anything else can be 
>swapped.  

For that matter, if you can replace an amputated finger, how about
transplanting a hand?  <shrug> 

I think the distinction between an implanted device and a naturally occuring
biometric is 1. not that important, 2. not all that large, anyway.

My point is -and I think this pretty obvious- without the "something someone
IS" 
as opposed ot "HAS" there is no stopping the exchange of credentials.  And
then as you go to "HAS", it's just a matter of how far you want to raise the
bar.

I like that idea of surgically swapping tokens ... where do I find the Dr.?
Assuming s/he's illicit, then where do I get the $?  And the person to swap
with?  What's in it for him/her?

>But if you amputate someone's hand or retinas then they won't 
>work(check for things like blood flow, etc.)
>
>Ben.
>____
>Ben Samman..............................................samman@cs.yale.edu
>"If what Proust says is true, that happiness is the absence of fever, then
>I will never know happiness. For I am possessed by a fever for knowledge,
>experience, and creation."                                      -Anais Nin
>PGP Encrypted Mail Welcomed      Finger samman@powered.cs.yale.edu for key
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>
>