RFC 2316 (rfc2316) - Page 3 of 9

Report of the IAB Security Architecture Workshop

RFC 2316                   Report of the IAB                  April 1998


   Finally, there is a perception problem:  that IPsec will somehow
   solve the security problem.  It won't; indeed, it can't.  IPsec
   provides excellent protection of packets in transit.  But it's hard
   to deploy on individual hosts, does not protect objects that may be
   retransmitted (i.e., email messages), does not address authorization
   issues, cannot block against excess resource consumption, etc.


7. Documents to be Written

   Collectively, we decided on several documents that need to be
   written:

      Taxonomy of Attacks
         In order to defend a protocol against attacks, one must, of
         course, know the kinds of attacks that are possible.  While the
         specifics differ from protocol to protocol, a number of general
         categories can be constructed.

      Implementation Hints and Pitfalls
         Even if a protocol is sound, a host running it can be
         vulnerable if the protocol is implemented improperly.  A
         variety of common errors can and do subvert the best designs.

      Firewall Issues
         Firewalls are both a common defense and a much-reviled wart on
         the Internet.  Regardless, they are unlikely to go away any
         time soon.  They have both strengths and weaknesses that must
         be considered when deploying them.  Furthermore, some protocols
         have characteristics that are unnecessarily firewall-hostile;
         such practices should be avoided.

      Workshop Report
         This document.


8. Working Group Charters

   The actual text in the working group charter is likely to be
   something fairly simple, like

      Protocols developed by this working group will be analyzed for
      potential sources of security breach. Identified threats will be
      removed from the protocol if possible, and documented and guarded
      against in other cases.

   The actual charter text represents a policy enjoined and enforced by
   the IESG, and may change from time to time and from charter to



Bellovin                     Informational