GESG Identity-Based Public Key Cryptography (ID-PKC)

[M Taylor]

The UK Communications-Electronics Security Group (CESG), the "defensive"
arm of the GCHQ, have published details about another PKC concept,
identity-based PKC, where every user's public key are predetermined by an
unique identifier, such as email address. It does use a(/two) trusted
server(s), but might be viewed as an easier to use infrastructure than
tranditional PKI in some situations.

The identity scheme ideas they present are similiar to Fiat-Shamir
identity signature scheme. The security is based upon Quadratic
Residuosity Problem (see: Goldwasser Micali 1984).

More details from: <http://www.cesg.gov.uk/id-pkc/index.htm>
including PDF of a slideshow, and requesting source code (definitely not
under an Open Source license), note as far as I know the CESG is
considering patents for this technology.




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