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Re: [OCLUG-Tech] CACert - free digital certificates

  • Subject: Re: [OCLUG-Tech] CACert - free digital certificates
  • From: Adrian Irving-Beer <wisq [ at ] wisq [ dot ] net>
  • Date: Fri, 3 Jun 2005 09:27:00 -0400
On Thu, Jun 02, 2005 at 03:30:19PM -0400, Bill Strosberg wrote:

> CA-issued certs & automatic browser inclusion of root certs always
> have been a thorn in my side.  Why should anyone trust someone else
> because they paid a third party to say they are who they are? (even
> if they lied).

The original (primary) idea was that the cert companies verify who you
are, sort of like PGP.

The (secondary) idea was to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks by
ensuring that the 'in the middle' guy has to a) at least expend
more effort trying to get a similar certificate, and b) hopefully
not succeed.

Obviously, I have no idea if either of these are still being practiced
by the companies in question.

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