Re: [Nea] IETF67 NEA WG Meeting summary

[Keith Moore <moore at cs.utk.edu>]

> Couldn't the solution be as simple as allowing the client nodes the option
> of deciding what information they are prepared to make available and the
> network then using what is available to decide how they should be treated?

I really don't think so.  The problem is with giving the network a way 
to interrogate the host in detail.

> If not enough information is provided the node can be shunted off for some
> form of remediation, if the network deems it has enough information then the
> node can be allowed in.
>
> Both parties have choices then, what information to provide and what is
> required to be accepted.  

say you want to attend a conference, like IETF.  but before we let you 
in the building where the conference is held we want to make sure you're 
okay.  so we're going to lock you in a room with an interrogator and 
he's going to ask you an arbitrary number of arbitrary questions - maybe 
about your sex life, drug use, whatever.  you're free to refuse to 
answer any question, but your failure to answer might determine whether 
we let you in or shunt you off for some form of remediation.  after all, 
you have nothing to hide, right?

while we're at it, maybe we should examine your laptop too.  maybe you 
have kiddie porn on there somewhere, maybe you have illegal mp3 files 
(despite the fact that we can't tell whether or not you have a license 
for such files - we'll decide for ourselves whether they're illegal or 
not).  maybe you have open source software.  that's bad enough - you 
never know what those guys will put in there.  maybe you have p2p file 
sharing software - you must be a pirate!  maybe you've even written some 
software of your own.  we certainly don't want to trust that.

I'm not joking.  there are people who would use this mechanism to do all 
kinds of invasive searches.  there are people in the us congress who 
would see nothing wrong with having networks search computers for 
"illegal" or "subversive" content if the mechanisms to do so were 
already in place.  it's simply not acceptable to standardize a mechanism 
that can be used to do invasive searches of a computer.

Keith

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