Security Group Seminar, 10th May 1994

Speaker:
Mike Roe, University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory

Date:
Tuesday 10th May at 4.15pm

Place:
Room TP4, Computer Laboratory

Title:
WIRETAPPING, FORGERY AND PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY:
THE NEW SECURITY SERVICES

The purpose of any security service is either to ensure that an event happens or to prevent an event happening (liveness or safety). Software reliablity is typically concerned with events that are universally agreed to be beneficial or harmful. On the other hand, computer security is typically concerned with events that are beneficial to some persons while harming others.

It follows that whether a computer security service is desirable or not depends upon who you are, and how you are effected by the events that it causes or prevents.

Traditionally, research interest has been focused on the services known as confidentiality, integrity and non-repudiation, and has neglected the converse services of wiretapping, forgery and plausible deniability.

Recent proposals for national cryptographic infrastructures are attempting to redress this historical imbalance. We will describe some possible protocols for achieving these new services, both with and without the use of trusted third parties.


Security Group Seminar, 10th May 1994 / Mark.Lomas@cl.cam.ac.uk