[nycbug-talk] USENIX + CACert

[mikel king]

Bob Ippolito wrote:

>
> On Jun 10, 2004, at 12:05 PM, Bob Ippolito wrote:
>
>> I don't think I'm going to be able to make USENIX this year, but one 
>> thing I've heard about that particularly interests me is that the 
>> whole CAcert crew is going to be there.  CAcert is the 
>> "Community-Oriented and Driven Certificate Authority".  Basically, 
>> they're trying to do what Thawte, Verisign, etc. does, but offer the 
>> services for free.  They offer email, server, and most recently code 
>> signing certificates.
>>
>> The 'problem' with CAcert (other than the fact that operating systems 
>> don't yet trust its root cert by default), is that in order to be 
>> fully authorized (get 2 year certs, name on email cert, etc.) you 
>> need to be verified by an existing member with assurer (or better) 
>> status.  Unfortunately, there aren't ANY assurers in the NYC area!  
>> Since these are the board members, anyone certified by them is 
>> immediately granted assurer status.  So, for those of you going, it 
>> would be awesome if you signed up for CAcert and got yourself 
>> assured, and we could have a little "key-signing party" at the end of 
>> the next nycbug meeting.  If three nycbug members become assured by 
>> board members, then that is enough to assign >100 points to new 
>> people, who can then assure each other, so that nycbug'er (who wants 
>> it) should be able to end up with full assurer status (assuming 
>> there's about 6 people who are interested, possibly less if I do the 
>> math).
>
>
> Looks like I won't even be able to make the next meeting.. I just made 
> plans to go to WWDC (on a complimentary ticket, no less), so I will be 
> out of town from the 28th-2nd (give or take).  I still think that 
> whoever is going should look into this, so that I can get authorized 
> in August :)
>
> -bob
>
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>
Bob,

    Thanks for the heads up on this.  There are just too many great 
projects out there that it's har sometimes to be aware of all of them.  
Well in any event I took the liberty of  registering with cacert and 
then investigating the assurance program. I then contacted them to find 
out what we are supposed to do and this is the email theat I received;

mikel king wrote:

> I've read your documentation about becoming an assurer, and I am a bit 
> unclear about the procedure for the problem of not having any assurers 
> in my area. Truth be told that's the main reason why I would be 
> interested in doing this, as I work in the NYC Metro area and know of 
> hundreds of people who would need this. If some one would contact me 
> and explain what would need to be done I'd be very appreciative.


Would you be able to get a group of people together?

Basically we're trying to cover as many people as possible and if you 
could get enough people together, I have some time after the conference 
before I fly back to Australia and I'd be even willing to suffer a bus 
trip to accommodate a large enough group...

-- 

Best regards,
 Duane

http://www.cacert.org - Free Security Certificates
http://www.nodedb.com - Think globally, network locally
http://www.sydneywireless.com - Telecommunications Freedom
http://happysnapper.com.au - Sell your photos over the net!
http://e164.org - Using Enum.164 to interconnect asterisk servers

"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the
stream always wins; not through strength, but through persistence."

I  assured Duane that I could garantee atleast 20 people and possibly 
upwards of 70. Cause if this dude is willing to stop in to check us out 
I think it'd be worth the special meeting...So who's game?