I found also this document interesting, it talks about key encryption 
equivalence. http://www.nsa.gov/business/programs/elliptic_curve.shtml

In short to protect a 128bits symmetric key, you need a 3072bit asymmetric key.

This does not apply much to DKIM, as DKIM does not use another key. But https 
uses an asymmetric key to transmit a random session bound symmetric key. The 
rest of the session then uses this much faster symmetric key.

However it shows that other type of asymmetric keys would be more DNS friendly 
(i.e. shorter to store in a TXT record).

For info: this group does not deal with "trust indicators" like it does not 
deal with mailing lists. We limited the scope of the group, to be able to 
progress one step at a time. These issues will have to be tackled, sure, but 
after the base is done.


From: Zachary Harris 
<[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>
Date: Monday, October 29, 2012 8:38 AM
To: "[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>" 
<[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>
Subject: Re: [dmarc-discuss] trust indicators based on weak keys (Was Re: False 
positives with "p=reject")

On 10/29/2012 10:48 AM, Tim Draegen wrote:
Receivers should consider the strength of the underlying key before attaching a 
"Trust Indicator".
  Indeed, when trust indicators are being used, it would seem appropriate to 
insert a SHOULD or MUST on top of RFC6376's basic statement that "Verifier 
policies may use the length of the signing key as one metric for determining 
whether a signature is acceptable."

  But that's not the point I wished to make in the "false positives" thread. 
What about DNS cache poisoning (don't forget that SPF and DKIM are ultimately 
relying on a UDP link in the chain!), what about replay attacks, what about 
compromised systems, what about a whole list of things in RFC4686 (thanks for 
pointing me to the reference, Franck; and thanks Jim for the hard work) which 
are too numerous for me personally to have even taken the time to read through 
all of them? The point is this: people could be using 8192-bit RSA private keys 
("in theory", you know what I mean), and still, I would request vendors: please 
don't make statements on my mom's email account that such and such message *IS* 
from a trusted sender, because you'll make my reminders to her about "personal 
responsibility on the internet" that much more difficult!

-Zach

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