Subject: Re: OpenPGP question

From: Sam Hartman <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 14:40:52 -0400

Hi.

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get back to this.  I wanted to
make sure I thoroughly understood the MDC in 2440bis and also wanted
to talk with Russ and other security experts.

I've convinced myself that the MDC's use of sha-1 is probably OK.
However algorithm agility is an absolute requirement.  The document
needs to clearly articulate a strategy for upgrading the algorithm
used by the MDC and to explain how clients can detect support for this
algorithm if asymmetric keys are involved.  I was going to ask for the
ability to include multiple MDC packets to support phased upgrades,
but Russ convinced me that this is not necessary.

Also, I would like to ask you to submit the section of your document
describing the MDC to the CFRG for their review.  I suspect they are
not going to like it much, but we need to give them a chance to find
any huge show stoppers.

So, I'm asking for the following specific actions:

1) Document your algorithm upgrade strategy.

2) Ask for a CFRG review 

--Sam