Subject: WG Action: RECHARTER: S/MIME Mail Security (smime)

From: The IESG <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 16:01:56 -0400

The charter of the S/MIME Mail Security (smime) working group in the Security Area
of the IETF has been updated. For additional information, please contact the Area 
Directors or the working group Chairs.

S/MIME Mail Security (smime)
============================

Current Status: Acrive Working Group

Chair:
Sean Turner <[email-masked]>
Blake Ramsdell <[email-masked]>

Security Area Director:
Russ Housley <[email-masked]>
Steve Belovin <[email-masked]>

Security Area Advisor:
Russ Housley <[email-masked]>

Mailing Lists:
General Discussion: [email-masked]
To Subscribe: [email-masked]
Archive: http://www.imc.org/ietf-smime/

Description of Working Group:

The S/MIME Working Group has completed a series of Proposed Standards that
comprise the S/MIME version 3.1 specification. As part of the specification
update, a new suite of "mandatory to implement" algorithms was be selected.
Current efforts update and build upon these base specifications.

The Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS) (RFC 3852) is cryptographic
algorithm independent, yet there is always more than one way to use any
algorithm. To ensure interoperability, each algorithm should have a
specification that describes its use with CMS. Specifications for the use
of additional cryptographic algorithms will be developed.

CMS, as well as S/MIME version 3 and later, permit the use of previously
distributed symmetric key-encryption keys. Specifications for the
distribution of symmetric key-encryption keys to multiple message
recipients will be developed. Mail List Agents (MLAs) are one use of
symmetric key-encryption keys. The specification will be algorithm independent.

To aid initial determination of recipient's cryptographic capabilities a
specification will be developed allowing S/MIME capabilities to be stored
and asserted in X.509 certificates based on the X.509 certificate and CRL
profile developed by the PKIX Working Group.

The working group will perform necessary interoperability testing to
progress the CMS and S/MIME specifications to Draft Standard. The CMS
specification depends on the RFC 3280, which was developed by the PKIX
working group. This profile must progress to Draft Standard before CMS and
the other S/MIME specifications can progress to Draft Standard. Assuming
timely progress by the PKIX Working Group, the S/MIME specification can
start progressing to Draft Standard in 2005.

Milestones:

History
Submit CMS compressed data content type a Proposed Standard.
Submit security label usage specification as Informational RFC.
Submit elliptic curve algorithm specification as Informational RFC.
Submit update to CMS as a Proposed Standard.
Submit CMS Algorithms as a Proposed Standard.
Submit AES key wrap algorithm description as Informational RFC.
Last call on X.400 CMS wrapper specification.
Last call on X.400 transport specification.
Last call on HMAC key wrap description specification.
Last call on RSA OAEP algorithm specification.
Last call on AES algorithm specification.
Last call on update to MSG.
First draft of update to CERT.
First draft of CMS and ESS examples document.
First draft of S/MIME version 3.1 interoperability matrix.
First draft of RSA PSS algorithm specification.
Submit mail list key distribution as a Proposed Standard.
Submit HMAC key wrap description as Proposed Standard.
Submit RSA OAEP algorithm specification as a Proposed Standard.
Sumbit AES algorithm specification as Proposed Standard.
Submit X.400 CMS wrapper specification as a Proposed Standard.
Submit X.400 transport as a Proposed Standard.
Last call on CMS and ESS examples document.
Sumbit update to CERT as Proposed Standard.
Sumbit update to MSG as Proposed Standard.
First draft of RSA KEM algorithm specification.
Last call on RSA PSS algorithm specification.
Submit RSA PSS algorithm specification as Proposed Standard
Submit CMS and ESS examples document as Informational RFC

September 04
First draft of S/MIME Capabilities Certificate Extension

October 04
Working Group Last Call for S/MIME Capabilities Certificate Extension

December 04
Submit S/MIME Capabilities Certificate Extension as Informational RFC

January 05
Final S/MIME version 3.1 interoperability matrix

February 05
Request advancement of CMS Algorithms to Draft Standard
Request advancement of CMS to Draft Standard
Request advancement of ESS to Draft Standard
Request advancement of CERT to Draft Standard
Request advancement of MSG to Draft Standard

November 05
Last call on RSA KEM algorithm specification

January 06
Submit RSA KEM algorithm specification as Proposed Standard

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