Hi,

Since Jason says this is still on-topic (-;

From: Josh Huber
Subject: Re: PGP/GPG signatures
Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2002 10:05:31 -0400

> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> 
> > [1] All this "signature" stuff is kind of inadequate in the long
> > term w/o some kind of notarization anyway -- consider the case where
> > one's secret key leaks and back-dated messages are forged.  W/o some
> > additional mechanism, here's no way to tell these apart from
> > legitimate "signatures".
> 
> If this happened, I would revoke my key.

I should clarify what I meant by notarization -- I'm not referring to
any specific method of notarization.  I'm referring to an appropriate
method for at least one third party to witness a signature (plus be
able to produce something at the time that can be used later as
evidence -- a number of methods try to accomplish this using one form
or another of time-stamping).

I believe there is a theoretical problem w/ trying to do signatures
you can use as evidence (not really in a legal sense -- in a technical
sense) w/o some form of appropriate witnessing involved somewhere.

I understand that one of the main problems is that the creator of the
"signature" (e.g. something signed w/ PGP) has control over the
validity of the signature.  All the creator has to do to make a
signature invalid is to revoke their own key.  I hope you agree that a
signer being able to deny having signed something that they really
signed (*phew*) is an undesirable situation (-;

IIUC, one way to address this issue is to get the "signature"
witnessed by some other (hopefully trustworthy) party soon after
receiving it -- or not accepting a "signature" that has not been
notarized/witnessed to begin w/.
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