2015
- The PKCS#12 standard needs another update
PKCS#12 is the defacto file format for moving private keys and certificates around. It was defined by RSA and Microsoft in the late 90s and is used by Windows extensively. It was also recently added to KIMP as a means to…
- Graphene CLI
A few weeks ago we released Graphene, a PKCS \#11 binding for NodeJS. Today we are releasing a CLI based on the same library.
- Certificate based Encryption in PDFs
The PDF format is the most used file format on the internet but unfortunately, the specification that documents it leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to producing signed and encrypted documents.
- PKIjs and trust lists
As you probably know Yury and I think Same Origin Certificates (or Browser Bound Certificates) are the way PKI enabled applications will be built in the future. This is why we have been working on PKIjs for so long.
- ECC, NSA and Crypto Agility
Matthew Green, someone I admire, recently did a wonderful post on the NSA announcement deprecating secp256r1 and letting people know they are no longer encouraging further adoption of the Suite B.
- PKCS #11, Javascript and Nodejs
Javascript has become the most popular language on the Internet. Until now there has not been a way to directly use cryptographic devices that provide PKCS#11 interfaces natively within NodeJS based applications.
- Paper in a Digital World
Paper processes are a normal part of person to person exchanges, and like the written signature, we can be sure their use will not disappear overnight. This means it is even more important that we evolve the relationship…
- WebCrypto and the modern web app
There is a famous Mark Zuckerberg quote from 2012 where he states Facebook's biggest mistake period (in mobile) was their focus on HTML5. It's been over three years since that statement and a lot has changed. Despite…
- Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act and Digital Signatures
Apparently one of the reasons states have been reluctant to publish legal material online is that there is a concern over how relying parties can tell if the material is authentic and has not been tampered with.
- Blockchain, Digital Signatures and Identity
It seems anytime I talk to people about the last few years of my professional life, they ask me about how I see traditional X.509 based Public Key Infrastructure and Blockchain technologies intersecting in the future. I…
- What makes an enforceable electronic signature?
While this post should not be thought of as legal advice, in the United States there are five key elements that should be considered when answering the question “Is an electronic signature enforceable?”, these include:
- The bright side of the dark side
The computer network is arguably one of the most important innovations in my lifetime. When we got our first modem over thirty years ago, it opened a whole new world to me. No longer was my view of the world limited to…
- Help Wanted: Apprentice to learn trade
I have taken the “non-traditional path” in both my education and career. At age eight my parents discovered my aptitude and (more importantly) interest in programming. My mother was always learning new things and as a…
- Farm boy sensibilities and the importance of contracts
I like to say that I was raised to have "Farm boy sensibilities". For me this is a positive statement and talks to how my father and grandfather stressed axioms like "a man is only as good as his word", "treat others the…
- Removing Friction From Online Signatures
Today there are broadly two different types of signatures done online, electronic signatures and digital signatures. Electronic signatures are a synthetic version of the wet signatures we use in the physical world and…
- Wet, Dry, Electronic, Digital and Hybrid Signatures
When talking about signatures there are several different styles of signatures people refer to. The first is the one we are all the familiar with - wet signatures.
- Browser Bound Certificates
The addition of WebCrypto to the browser enables a number of interesting client server opportunities that did not exist prior. One of which I think is interesting is what I have been calling browser bound certificates.
- A look at short lived certificates, keys and the relevance of FIPS 140-2
Today the defacto-standard for purchasing criteria for a cryptographic component is a US Federal Standard called FIPS 140-2. This is set of assurance levels the US Federal Government uses to ensure that government…
- Key management and key lifetime
One of my favorite quotes about cryptography is this one from Bruce Schneier where he says:
- My thoughts on Let’s Encrypt
Today about 80% of all SSL certificates on the Internet that are in use are what are commonly referred to at Domain Validated (DV) certificates. The name is a bit of a misnomer in that not all DV certificates…
- Has identity verification on the web become a glass ceiling?
As of 2013 here are 7.125 billion people in the world (World Bank) 39% of which are using the Internet (ITU). 318.9 million of these people live in the United States where as many as 74% use the Internet (Census).