> Although something else may have been intended by using the phrase > "password-authenticated key agreement", lets not forget that's all PKI is - > key agreement based on verifying a password. > At the server end, the site admins password is verified e.g. for SSL servers > At the client, if you're lucky, the user chose a hard to crack password.
Hmm... Your terminology is sounding a bit off. Passwords are symmetric keys. PKI stands for Public Key Infrastructure. I think what you mean here is that the server's public key (contained in the certificate) is verified based on a provided signature/challenge generated by the server's private key, and by signatures of "trusted" certificate authorities, along with a whole host of other things. Sure the site admins may protect their private key with a password, but even if they don't, it has nothing to do with the PKI. As for the client side, they usually use passwords, but they may also use client-side certificates in SSL with no password at all. > That, and the access controls on each ndpoint is all that authenticates any > PKI-based schema. True, if you are worried about local attackers at the endpoint. These access controls are usually permissions in conjunction with a symmetric key (password). tim _______________________________________________ Full-Disclosure - We believe in it. Charter: http://lists.grok.org.uk/full-disclosure-charter.html Hosted and sponsored by Secunia - http://secunia.com/
