PKI Technology & Interoperability

PKI Technology & Interoperability Lisa Pretty Executive Director

Speakers • Overview & Interoperability – Lisa Pretty, PKI Forum • Hardware Security Modules – Bill Franklin, nCipher • Tokens – Bill Wehrmacher, DataKey

CA Directory Services RA End Entity Certificate Revocation Certificate Publication Certificate Generation Certificate Archiving Certificate Expiration Verification of Applicant Certificate Lifecycle

PKI Interoperability • Three different aspects to PKI interoperability • Component interoperability • Enterprise interoperability • Application interoperability

RA CA Repository Client PKI Component Interoperability • Ability to mix and match COTS PKI products • Depends upon specification-based messages exchanged between components to support: • Certificate requests • Certificate renewal • Certificate revocation

Factors For Component Interoperability • Algorithm suite • Certificate management protocols • Certificate issuance • Certificate revocation • Transport mechanisms

RA RA CA CA Enterprise A PKI Repository A Client Client Repository B Enterprise B PKI Enterprise Interoperability • The ability to connect two enterprise PKIs into a larger functional PKI • More than just cross-certification • Clients must be able to find and validate meaningful certification paths

Factors for Enterprise Interoperability • Algorithm suite • Certificate format and extension set • Certificate policies • Certificate status information formats • Path building and validation across PKIs

RA RA CA CA Enterprise A PKI Repository A Client Client Repository B Enterprise B PKI Application Interoperability • The ability of PKI-aware applications to: • Share PKI certificates, key-pairs, and processing modules • Rely on different PKI environments to implement security services

Factors for Application Interoperability • Ability to share cryptographic modules OR export/import cryptographic materials • Cryptographic application programming interfaces (APIs) • Access to path validation and path building utilities • Consistency of processing • Feature sets

Hardware Security Modules (HSM) and PKI Bill Franklin Dir. of Technology, nCipher

Hardware Security Modules • Hardware security modules (HSM) perform cryptographic operations, protected by hardware (PCI boards, SCSI boxes, smart cards, etc.) • These operations include: • Random number generation • Key generation (asymmetric and symmetric) • Private key hiding (security) from attack (no unencrypted private keys in software or memory) • Private keys used for signing and decryption • Private keys used in PKI for storing Root Keys

About Public Key, ---? • We assume you understand something about public key technology: • Public-private key pairs; generation and life cycle • Asymmetric encryption • Symmetric encryption • Use of asymmetric encryption to establish keys for subsequent symmetric encryption • Criticality of private keys (and root keys)

Why Use HSMs? • A number of public key operations require the use of private keys as part of various processes: • Cryptographically or digitally signing an object, a file, etc. • Decrypting an encrypted object or file • These processes happen in active memory, which is vulnerable to attack and copying of a private key in open use, unencrypted

HSM – Immediate Needs • SSL predominates in e-commerce: • Allows secure electronic transactions • Effect on servers: • SSL negotiation (asymmetric) creates heavy overhead – increasingly a bottleneck • Private keys have to be brought into decryption and signing processes, interactively • So, SSL can drive: • Insecurity if private keys not protected fully • Bottlenecks in processing, even bringing servers down

HSM Basics • HSMs generally hook directly to the server, providing a protected area for the private key to be generated and reside, as well as to participate in a protected manner in critical processes, such as signing and decryption -- such that the private key is never in active memory or software in an unencrypted state.

PKI Implications • If you have just spent $15M implementing a global PKI – and your root is compromised, or some other important signing key… • What will it cost you to refit all new certificates – as well as inspecting and changing all the operations associate with the compromised key(s)? • It will be more than you spent setting up initially! • Or, transactions are suddenly 8000% over design expectations – how will you scale?

Desirable Characteristics • HSMs should: • Resist physical and programming attacks of all types (our catechism is: NO Private keys unencrypted in software or memory – any time); generate random numbers and keys in HSM • Make private keys securely available to transaction processes in real time, securely – particularly CAs • Allow “k of n” security for access to HSMs with security “in depth” • Accelerate cryptographic processing • Be scalable and support failover • Operate with load balancing schemas • Work with PKCS#11, MS CAPI and other APIs

Need Further Information • Check with the PKI Forum site for members which have HSMs (www.pkiforum.org) • Work with your integrator or consultants to identify the best solutions for your implementations and operations • Work with your PKI vendor concerning solutions for HSM • But: Use HSM to assure your security!

HSM Example: nCipher HW PCI SCSI slide 20

RISC Processor Array Secure Memory Example: nCipher Hardware Each CPU can perform - 37 1/2 1024 bit decryptions per second

Example: nCipher Hardware “Master” Processor The master processor performs crypto operations and parsing to other chips Other CPU’s perform only crypto operations slide 22

The smart token’s role in PKI interoperability. W.H.(Bill) Wehrmacher Datakey, Inc.

1st: Do no harm! Then help if you can!

Just what is a Smart Token? • Physical Device • Potential for two Factor Authentication • Potential for secure portable Credentials • Computing Device • Potential for Strong Authentication • Potential for Non Repudiation • Convenient Form Factors • Potential for regular use

What do you mean by interoperate? • The definitions for tokens are the same definitions about PKI in general. • I want my PKI trust system interoperate with others’ PKI trust systems • I want my PKI credentials to work across applications • There is more with Tokens • “OK, now I have have keys and Certificates on my token, I should be able to plug it into any PKI enabled application, in any workstation and have it just work.”

What does the user mean by interoperate? • “OK, you’ve convinced me, I need tokens. • Now I can work anywhere, • any time, • on any computer, • with any application, • and on and on and on…” “OK, now I have have keys and Certificates on my token, I should be able to plug it into any PKI enabled application, in any workstation and just have it work… Right?”

Define where you want interoperability • At card edge... • At Card Operating System ... • At card terminal ... • At connection API ... • At Cryptographic API ... • Across desktop platforms ... • Across PKI Systems ...

Applications: Secure and non-secure PKI functions: Key & Certificate Management Auditing etc. Security Mechanisms and protocols Token Connectivity APIs Token Connectivity hardware Token Interoperability Stack Security Support Services CAPI/CSP, Cryptoki Crypto Modules and Algorithms PC/SC, OCF etc. ISO 7816 Tokens

At Card Edge with ISO 7816? A little like saying RS232 Compatible • Card will fit in slot • Contacts will line up • Power and signals will go to right place • Card will identify itself with Answer To Reset • Many low level commands will work • Most functional commands won’t Probably not core definition of interoperability, but will be part of the equation

CARDOS DKCCOS EMV JavaCard Multos SEIS SpyCOS Windows for Smart Cards At Card Edge Operating System: Not really practical to interoperate here…

RSA DSA ECC PGP Others, new and old DES and derivatives RCx IDEA CAST Others, new and old At Operating System Algorithm Suite: Necessary to support wide range of applications

At Token Terminal • Platform Dependent • PC/SC • WinTel 32 Platforms only • Limited performance with Cryptographic Smart Cards • OpenCardFramework • Java oriented

At Cryptographic or other API • Cryptoki (PKCS#11): Lowest Level of popular APIs • CAPI (Microsoft Cryptographic API) • Both supported by existing products ActivCard: ActivCard Gold Litronic: NetSign Datakey: SignaSURE CIP Schlumberger GemPLUS: GemSafe Others • Both Supported by PKI products For a list, see the PKI Forum Member list and there are others

Perhaps now you have token hooked up. What next? Rule #1: Do no harm • Share PKI data across platforms • If PKI can operate in multiple environments, a smart token should not prevent it • All Cryptoki applications are not created equal • Cryptoki recommends, does not specify. • Applications can store data on tokens in incompatible formats. • PKI data can be PKI specific or PKI general

Smart Card tokens ActivCard Bull Datakey GemPlus Giesecke & Devrient Litronic Oberthur Schlumberger Many others Other Smart Tokens ActivCard CryptoCard Security Dynamics Many others Token Vendors These are not “recommended” vendors, just those who came to mind. There are many others and you should search out the ones that best fit your needs.

Please feel free to contact me W.H.(Bill) Wehrmacher Director of Technical Services Datakey, Inc. bill.wehrmacher@datakey.com +1 952 808-2337 407 West travelers Trail Burnsville Minnesota 55337

www.PKIForum.org

PKI Technology & Interoperability