Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-29 Thread Eddy Nigg
On 12/30/2008 03:44 AM, Grey Hodge: Considering the KNOWN size of the breach, a maximum of 111 certs, less than ten percent of which could not be verified in 2 days, only 2 of which were confirmed to be fraudulent (both your attempts), I don't think this requires a revocation. If we /can/ resolv

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-29 Thread Kyle Hamilton
I would LOVE for Comodo to clean up its practices. Including "decertifying the CA that does not adhere to financial levels of control that is certified by a CA that does". -Kyle H On Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 5:44 PM, Grey Hodge wrote: > On 12/29/2008 4:46 PM Eddy Nigg cranked up the brainbox and sa

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-29 Thread Grey Hodge
On 12/29/2008 4:46 PM Eddy Nigg cranked up the brainbox and said: > The amount of customers never was a known criteria of CAs business > practices ever. I also don't know how many Credit cards Bank of America issues, but I can guess with reasonable accuracy. > Isn't the responsibility of a CA th

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-29 Thread Ben Bucksch
On 29.12.2008 07:59, Nelson B Bolyard wrote: Perhaps the policy should even go so far, as Kai has suggested, as to require that whatever entity performs the verification of subject identity for the CA must be audited. Yes. Not perhaps. The verification is one of the two core operations of t

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-29 Thread David E. Ross
On 12/29/2008 12:23 PM, Grey Hodge wrote: > On 12/29/2008 3:47 AM Kyle Hamilton cranked up the brainbox and said: >> And since the number one reason for having a CA in the root list is >> for Mozilla-software user security, how do you arrive at "punish [...] >> millions of users"? > > If all of Co

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-29 Thread Eddy Nigg
On 12/29/2008 10:23 PM, Grey Hodge: Indeed, I am, as an educated guess. Comodo is a root CA. You don't get root status by having a handful of customers. The amount of customers never was a known criteria of CAs business practices ever. It's hard business to break into, and Comodo has been a

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-29 Thread Grey Hodge
On 12/29/2008 8:45 AM Eddy Nigg cranked up the brainbox and said: > Please do not add comments to that thread without relevance, thanks. Excuse me, I've had enough or your arrogant attitude. I've seen the way you've been treating people and I can name half a dozen off the top of my head you've bee

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-29 Thread Grey Hodge
On 12/29/2008 3:47 AM Kyle Hamilton cranked up the brainbox and said: > And since the number one reason for having a CA in the root list is > for Mozilla-software user security, how do you arrive at "punish [...] > millions of users"? If all of Comodo's certs cease to be trusted, millions of web s

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-29 Thread Eddy Nigg
On 12/29/2008 07:40 AM, David E. Ross: On 12/28/2008 3:45 PM, Kyle Hamilton wrote [in part]: CertStar was found out, only due to the diligence of someone on this list. How many other RAs haven't been found out yet? We can't know, because Comodo won't say. This affects the confidence I have in

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-29 Thread Eddy Nigg
On 12/29/2008 09:41 AM, Grey Hodge: Apparently, but that doesn't mean it's invalid. Mozilla can't act arbitrarily and without cause and expect to retain any shred of respect or trustworthiness. Nobody suggested that I think. There is however real cause for concern. Yes, perhaps, and perhaps

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-29 Thread Ian G
On 29/12/08 09:47, Kyle Hamilton wrote: Uhm... how did you arrive at the "tens of thousands of other Comodo customers" figure? I don't believe that Comodo has disclosed the number of unique domain names served by certificates that it has issued. http://www.securityspace.com/s_survey/sdata/20

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-29 Thread Kyle Hamilton
Uhm... how did you arrive at the "tens of thousands of other Comodo customers" figure? I don't believe that Comodo has disclosed the number of unique domain names served by certificates that it has issued. And since the number one reason for having a CA in the root list is for Mozilla-software u

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Grey Hodge
On 12/28/2008 9:42 AM Eddy Nigg cranked up the brainbox and said: > On 12/28/2008 04:24 PM, Ian G: >> No, I'm afraid there is an agreement to list the root, under a policy. >> Once listed, Mozilla has to operate according to its side of the bargain. > Apparently you are reading something I haven't.

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Nelson B Bolyard
David E. Ross wrote, On 2008-12-28 21:40 PST: > Now that it is known that a subordinate reseller operating under one CA > issued certificates without authenticating the identity of the > subscribers, we know that the theoretical concern expressed (before all > this) about resellers is no longer

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread David E. Ross
On 12/28/2008 3:45 PM, Kyle Hamilton wrote [in part]: > CertStar was found out, only due to the diligence of someone on this > list. How many other RAs haven't been found out yet? We can't know, > because Comodo won't say. This affects the confidence I have in their > system (i.e., it removes AL

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Eddy Nigg
On 12/29/2008 03:09 AM, Ian G: The point I have made is that the discussion of Comodo's operations is outside scope of this forum. You may feel that you have an opinion, and you have a right to it. However, this forum is not for the investigation of breaches or failures to comply with policies.

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Ian G
On 29/12/08 00:36, Kyle Hamilton wrote: On Sun, Dec 28, 2008 at 6:24 AM, Ian G wrote: Unlike you, Eddy actually runs a certifying authority. This means that he has operational experience with not only the technical sides of things, but also the legal sides of things. I support your right

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Kyle Hamilton
On Sun, Dec 28, 2008 at 3:42 PM, Ian G wrote: > On 29/12/08 00:37, Kyle Hamilton wrote: >> Considering that "trustability" is viewed as a binary state, it's the >> only weapon that Mozilla has. > > > Yes. This is reason for concern. FWIW, I agree. Alright, I propose that, in a new thread, we op

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Kyle Hamilton
On Sun, Dec 28, 2008 at 7:37 AM, Ian G wrote: >> That's for the specific certstar case. Domain validation isn't performed >> by Comodo on a wide scale apparently and perhaps no validation is >> performed at all. > > > Oh, that's a new claim, beyond this reseller. You're only just now figuring tha

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Ian G
On 29/12/08 00:37, Kyle Hamilton wrote: On Sun, Dec 28, 2008 at 9:28 AM, Ian G wrote: On 28/12/08 17:06, David E. Ross wrote: How about the users of Mozilla products who might lose money or even go bankrupt because they trusted a root certificate from such a CA? No, such losses are not known

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Kyle Hamilton
On Sun, Dec 28, 2008 at 9:28 AM, Ian G wrote: > On 28/12/08 17:06, David E. Ross wrote: >> How about the users of Mozilla products who might lose money or even go >> bankrupt because they trusted a root certificate from such a CA? No, >> such losses are not known (yet). What did happen, however,

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Kyle Hamilton
On Sun, Dec 28, 2008 at 6:24 AM, Ian G wrote: > (following is just for the record so as to deal with the response. No new > info is in here for other readers.) I would very much appreciate it if you would stop using fear, uncertainty, and doubt to manipulate the audience into believing your and

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Ian G
On 28/12/08 17:06, David E. Ross wrote: On 12/28/2008 4:46 AM, Ian G wrote [in part]: First, losses we will incur, regardless: ... The CA will lose; potentially it will lose its revenue stream, or have it sliced in half (say), which is what we would call in business circles a plausible

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread David E. Ross
On 12/28/2008 4:46 AM, Ian G wrote [in part]: > On 28/12/08 12:13, Kai Engert wrote: > >> If we'd like to be strict, we could remove CAs from our approved list if >> they have shown to be non-conforming in the above way. > > > Yes, we could! But this is what we call a blunt weapon. It is also

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Ian G
On 28/12/08 15:42, Eddy Nigg wrote: On 12/28/2008 04:24 PM, Ian G: I was clearly replying to the later part: The CA will lose; potentially it will lose its revenue stream, or have it sliced in half (say), which is what we would call in business circles a plausible bankrupcy event. It's not rele

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Eddy Nigg
On 12/28/2008 04:24 PM, Ian G: 1. Certs: All end-users who rely on these certs will lose. That probably numbers in the millions. All subscribers will lose, probably in the thousands. The CA will lose; potentially it will lose its revenue stream, or have it sliced in half (say), which is what we w

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Ian G
(following is just for the record so as to deal with the response. No new info is in here for other readers.) On 28/12/08 14:21, Eddy Nigg wrote: On 12/28/2008 02:46 PM, Ian G: 1. Certs: All end-users who rely on these certs will lose. That probably numbers in the millions. All subscribers

Re: dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Eddy Nigg
On 12/28/2008 02:46 PM, Ian G: 1. Certs: All end-users who rely on these certs will lose. That probably numbers in the millions. All subscribers will lose, probably in the thousands. The CA will lose; potentially it will lose its revenue stream, or have it sliced in half (say), which is what we

dropping the root is useless

2008-12-28 Thread Ian G
On 28/12/08 12:13, Kai Engert wrote: If we'd like to be strict, we could remove CAs from our approved list if they have shown to be non-conforming in the above way. Yes, we could! But this is what we call a blunt weapon. It is also a dangerous weapon. Consider (all) the consequences in th