Digital signatures have a big problem with meaning

Rich Salz rsalz at datapower.com
Wed Jun 1 12:51:43 EDT 2005


> On the one hand a digital signature should matter more
> the bigger the transaction that it protects.  On the
> other hand, the bigger the transaction the lower the
> probability that it is between strangers who have no
> other leverage for recourse.

I think signatures are increasingly being used for technical reasons, 
not legal.  That is, sign and verify just to prove that all the layers 
of middleware and Internet and general bugaboos didn't screw with it. 
People seem to be building systems that assume proper operation, and use 
signatures as an application-level way to check, and also as a line of 
defense to screen out outsiders, rather than hold insiders liable.

Loosly coupled, tightly contracted.

	/r$

-- 
Rich Salz, Chief Security Architect
DataPower Technology                           http://www.datapower.com
XS40 XML Security Gateway   http://www.datapower.com/products/xs40.html

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