PKCS: PublicKey Cryptography Standards

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PKCS Public-Key Cryptography Standards

• Burt KaliskiChief Scientist and Director
• RSA Laboratories

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Outline

• History
• Approach
• Recent highlights

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History

• Launched in 1991 as implementation agreements
  among early adopters of public-key cryptography
• Apple, Digital, Lotus, Microsoft, MIT, Northern
  Telecom, Novell, Sun
• Revised 1993, Cryptoki (PKCS 11) released 1995
• Workshops, ongoing updates,new documents since
  1996

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Approach

• Informal, intervendor process
• open workshops, public comment, without
  membership or votes
• managed by RSA Laboratories
• Catalyst for formal standards
• missing links
• transition to formal standards as more widely
  adopted

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Recent Highlights

• PKCS 1 RSA Cryptography
• PKCS 7 Cryptographic Message Syntax
• PKCS 11 Cryptographic Token Interface
• PKCS 15 Cryptographic Token Information Format

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PKCS 1 RSA Cryptography

• RSA encryption, signature schemes
• v1.5 (1993) has basic RSA schemes, specified in
  SSL, S/MIME, PKIX
• v2.0 (1998) adds Bellare-Rogaway OAEP encryption
• v2.1 in development, adds B-R PSS (Probabilistic
  Signature Scheme)

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PKCS 7 Cryptographic Message Syntax

• Signed, encrypted message syntax
• enhancement to Privacy-Enhanced Mail
• v1.5 (1993) has RSA-oriented key management,
  basis for S/MIME, some PKIX protocols
• IETF RFC 2630 (CMS) adds DH-oriented key
  management
• v1.6bis supports SET protocol

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PKCS 11 Cryptographic Token Interface (Cryptoki)

• Programming interface for smart cards, other
  devices
• v1.0 (1995) has basic methods
• v2.01 (1997) adds cryptographic mechanisms,
  improves management
• v2.1 in development, clarifes interface, adds
  more mechansims

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PKCS 15 Cryptographic Token Information Format

• File format for cryptographic data on smart
  cards, other devices
• v1.0 (1998) newly released, candidate for WAP
  Forum, country EID cards
• collaboration with SEIS
• v1.1 in development, adds software format

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Other Documents

• PKCS 3 Diffie-Hellman Key-Agreement
• PKCS 5 Password-Based Cryptography
• PKCS 8 Private-Key Information Syntax
• PKCS 9 Selected Attribute Types
• PKCS 10 Certification Request Syntax
• PKCS 12 Personal Information Exchange Syntax
• 2, 4, 6 obsolete, 13, 14 in development

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PKCS Workshop

• 29 September 1 October 1999, Stockholm
• Discussion of current work
• Proposals for new work
• Implementers workshop

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For More Information

• www.rsa.com/rsalabs/pubs/PKCS
• pkcs-editor_at_rsa.com
• burt_at_rsa.com