Internet Engineering Task Force

S/MIME Mail Security (smime)

Last Modified: 2010-01-25

Additional information is available at tools.ietf.org/wg/smime

Chair(s):

Security Area Director(s):

Security Area Advisor:

Tim Polk <tim.polk@nist.gov>

Mailing Lists:

General Discussion: smime@ietf.org
To Subscribe: smime-request@ietf.org
Archive: http://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/smime/current/maillist.html

Description of Working Group:

The S/MIME Working Group has completed a series of Proposed Standards
that comprise the S/MIME version 3.1 specification. As part of the
specification update, a new suite of "mandatory to implement"
algorithms
was be selected. Current efforts update and build upon these base
specifications.

The Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS) (RFC 3852) is cryptographic
algorithm independent, yet there is always more than one way to use any
algorithm. To ensure interoperability, each algorithm should have a
specification that describes its use with CMS. Specifications for the
use of additional cryptographic algorithms will be developed.

CMS, as well as S/MIME version 3 and later, permit the use of
previously
distributed symmetric key-encryption keys. Specifications for the
distribution of symmetric key-encryption keys to multiple message
recipients will be developed. Mail List Agents (MLAs) are one use of
symmetric key-encryption keys. The specification will be algorithm
independent.

To aid initial determination of recipient's cryptographic capabilities
a
specification will be developed allowing S/MIME capabilities to be
stored and asserted in X.509 certificates based on the X.509
certificate
and CRL profile developed by the PKIX Working Group.

The working group will perform necessary interoperability testing to
progress the CMS and S/MIME specifications to Draft Standard. The CMS
specification depends on the RFC 3280, which was developed by the PKIX
working group. This profile must progress to Draft Standard before CMS
and the other S/MIME specifications can progress to Draft Standard.
Assuming timely progress by the PKIX Working Group, the S/MIME
specification can start progressing to Draft Standard in 2005.

Goals and Milestones:

Done		First draft of security label usage specification.
Done		First draft of CMS RecipientInfo extension.
Done		Last call on KEA and SKIPJACK algorithm specification.
Done		Last call on small subgroup attack avoidance
Done		First draft of CAST algorithm specification.
Done		Last call on certificate distribution specification.
Done		First draft of mail list key distribution.
Done		Submit KEA and SKIPJACK algorithm specification as Informational RFC.
Done		Submit small subgroup attack avoidance as Informational RFC
Done		Last call on CAST algorithm specification.
Done		Updated draft of domain security services document.
Done		Last call on security label usage specification.
Done		Last call on IDEA algorithm specification.
Done		Last call on CMS RecipientInfo extension.
Done		Last call on mail list key distribution.
Done		Submit CAST algorithm specification as Informational RFC.
Done		Submit security label usage specification as Informational RFC.
Done		Submit IDEA algorithm specification as Informational RFC.
Done		Submit CMS RecipientInfo extension to IESG for consideration as a Proposed Standard.
Done		Last call on domain security services document.
Done		Submit domain security services as Experimental RFC.
Done		Submit mail list key distribution as a Proposed Standard
Done		Submit X.400 CMS wrapper specification as a Proposed Standard
Done		Submit HMAC key wrap description as Proposed Standard
Done		Submit RSA OAEP algorithm specification as Proposed Standard
Done		Sumbit AES algorithm specification as Proposed Standard
Done		Submit X.400 transport as a Proposed Standard
Done		Last call on CMS and ESS examples document
Done		First draft of RSA KEM algorithm specification
Done		Submit update to MSG as Proposed Standard
Done		Submit update to CERT as Proposed Standard
Done		Last call on RSA PSS algorithm specification
Done		Submit RSA PSS algorithm specification as Proposed Standard
Done		First draft of S/MIME Capabilities Certificate Extension
Done		Working Group Last Call for S/MIME Capabilities Certificate Extension
Done		Submit S/MIME Capabilities Certificate Extension as Informational RFC
Done		Submit SHA-2 algorithms with CMS as Proposed Standard
Done		Submit S/MIME Certificate Handling as Proposed Standard
Done		Submit S/MIME Message Specification as Proposed Standard
Dec 2008		Submit necessary algorithms documents* as Draft Standard
Dec 2008		Submit Enhanced Security Services as Draft Standard
Dec 2008		Submit S/MIME Message Specification as Draft Standard
Dec 2008		Submit S/MIME Certificate Handling as Draft Standard
Done		Submit CMS as Draft Standard

Internet-Drafts:

Use of the RSA-KEM Key Transport Algorithm in CMS (53621 bytes)
New ASN.1 Modules for CMS and S/MIME (104949 bytes)

Request For Comments: