On Fri, 15 Jan 1999, Greg Skinner wrote:
> >> I think what they are trying to do is prevent people from using
> >> multiple "net identities" to register. It's very easy to establish
> >> multiple net identities. Secure registration would not help unless it
> >> required the person to present a unique token that somehow binds
> >> strongly to the individual and can't be duplicated.
>
> > And doing so is easly doable, and is being done every day! So I
> > find your point here invalid.
>
> I'm quite aware that this sort of thing is done every day. However,
> does it prevent someone who is registered in multiple certification
> authorities from submitting multiple certificates under different
> identities?
>
> Verisign's, for example, costs $9.95 per year. The Berkman center
> would have to consider whether requiring someone to use this CA
> is better than charging a cheaper registration fee.
So long as you are willing to pay the $9.95, you can have as many
identities as you like from Verisign. Verisign does not certify
that each identity corresponds to one and only one human being. It
simply certifies that the identity itself (the digital certificate)
is unique.
Someday there will doubtless be authorities that issue digital
certificates that are tied to unique biological signatures -- say
retina patterns or something derived from the person's DNA. Mind
you, you will still not be able to confirm that the person
corresponding to the certificate is the one using it.
In 1999 there is no practical way to prove the identity of a person
voting in a large-scale election over the Net.
--
Jim Dixon Managing Director
VBCnet GB Ltd http://www.vbc.net tel +44 117 929 1316
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Member of Council Telecommunications Director
Internet Services Providers Association EuroISPA EEIG
http://www.ispa.org.uk http://www.euroispa.org
tel +44 171 976 0679 tel +32 2 503 22 65
__________________________________________________
To receive the digest version instead, send a
blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To SUBSCRIBE forward this message to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNSUBSCRIBE, forward this message to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Problems/suggestions regarding this list? Email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
___END____________________________________________
