Common Authentication Technology (cat)

Charter

Chair(s):
     John Linn, linn@zendia.enet.dec.com

Mailing Lists:
     General Discussion:  cat-ietf@mit.edu
     To Subscribe:  cat-ietf-request@mit.edu
     Archive:  /cat-ietf/archive@bitsy.mit.edu

Description of Working Group:

     The goal of the Common Authentication Technology working group
     is to provide strong authentication to a variety of protocol
     callers in a manner which insulates those callers from the
     specifics of underlying security mechanisms.  By separating
     security implementation tasks from the tasks of integrating
     security data elements into caller protocols, those tasks can
     be partitioned and performed separately by implementors with
     different areas of expertise.  This provides leverage for the
     IETF community's security-oriented resources, and allows
     protocol implementors to focus on the functions their protocols
     are designed to provide rather than on characteristics of
     security mechanisms.  CAT seeks to encourage uniformity and
     modularity in security approaches, supporting the use of common
     techniques and accomodating evolution of underlying
     technologies.

     In support of these goals, the Working Group will pursue
     several interrelated tasks.  We will work towards agreement on
     a common service interface allowing callers to invoke security
     services, and towards agreement on a common authentication
     token format, incorporating means to identify the mechanism
     type in conjunction with which authentication data elements
     should be interpreted.  The CAT Working Group will also work
     towards agreements on suitable underlying mechanisms to
     implement security functions; two candidate architectures
     (Kerberos V5, based on secret-key technology and contributed by
     MIT, and X.509-based public-key Distributed Authentication
     Services being prepared for contribution by DEC) are under
     current consideration.  The CAT Working Group will consult with
     other IETF Working Groups responsible for candidate caller
     protocols, pursuing and supporting design refinements as
     appropriate.

Goals and Milestones:

Done       Preliminary BOF session at IETF meeting, discussions with
           Telnet and Network Printing Working Groups.

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Done       Distribute Generic Security Service Application Program
           Interface (GSS-API) documentation through Internet-Draft
           process.

Done       First IETF meeting as full Working Group:  review Charter,
           distribute documents, and status of related implementation,
           integration, and consulting liaison activities.  Schedule
           follow-on tasks, including documentation plan for specific
           CAT-supporting security mechanisms.

Oct 1991   Update mechanism-independent Internet-Drafts in response to
           issues raised, distribute additional mechanism-specific
           documentation including Distributed Authentication Services
           architectural description and terms/conditions for use of the
           technology documented therein.

Nov 1991   Second IETF meeting:  Review distributed documents and status
           of related activities, continue consulting liaisons.  Discuss
           features and characteristics of underlying mechanisms.
           Define scope and schedule for follow-on work.

Dec 1991   Submit service interface specification to RFC standards
           track.

Ongoing    Progress Internet Draft and RFC publication of
           mechanism-level documents to support independent,
           interoperable implementations of CAT-supporting mechanisms.



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