[ Last changed: 1st June 1995 ]

Security Group Seminar, 16th May 1995


Speaker:
Mark Lomas, University of Cambridge

Date:
Tuesday 16th May 4.15pm

Place:
Room TP4, Computer Laboratory

Title:
TRUSTED THIRD PARTIES

What is trust? When people use the term "Trusted Third Party" what exactly do they mean? Often they don't mean what they think they do.

My dictionary gives several definitions, including:

  1. a firm belief in the reliability or truth or strength etc. of a person or thing.
  2. the state of being relied upon.
I suggest that if you accept the first definition you will come to grief. In the context of computer security a better definition might be: Systems should be designed such that Trusted Third Parties cannot avoid leaving evidence of misbehaviour.


PostScript version of slides
Security Group Seminar, 16th May 1995 / Mark.Lomas@cl.cam.ac.uk