Strong authentication and privacy with standard browsers

Issue title: Security in the World Wide Web

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Bergadano, F.^{a; *} | Crispo, B.^{a; b} | Lomas, M.^b

Affiliations: [a] University of Torino | [b] University of Cambridge

Correspondence: [*] E-mail: bergadan@di.unito.it

Abstract: A framework for secure WWW client/server communication is proposed. Strong end-to-end encryption and authentication is achieved by means of public key techniques. A particular certification infrastructure is developed that helps assign responsibilities in case of disputes. Such issues are increasingly important in WWW applications and are not dealt with in a satisfactory way by current certification schemes. Actual communication is done with the HTTP protocol unchanged and by using standard commercial browsers, because widespread usability is a goal. Encryption and authentication is done separately based on the execution of applets running on the client machine.

Keywords: WWW security, encryption, authentication, public key certification, public key revocation, key management, Java applets, WWW browsers

DOI: 10.3233/JCS-1997-5302

Journal: Journal of Computer Security, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 191-212, 1997