authentication protocols

[bear]

On Mon, 25 Mar 2002, John Saylor wrote:

>I'd like to find an authentication protocol that fits my needs:
>1. 2 [automated] parties
>2. no trusted 3rd party intemediary ['Trent' in _Applied_Crypto_]

"Authentication" relative to what?

All identity, and therefore all authentication, derives from
some kind of consensus idea of who a person is.  With no third
party, it is hard to check a consensus.

Usually authentication comes down to checking a credential. But
that implies some third party that issued the credential.

So, the pertinent question becomes, what is identity? For purposes
of your application, I mean -- no point to go off on philosophical
tangents.  Answer that, and maybe there'll be a protocol that you
can use.

				Bear



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