e-conveyancing

[Nicholas Bohm]

At 16:49 29/03/2001 +0100, Charles Lindsey wrote:
>	On Thu, 29 Mar 2001 11:46:37 +0100
>	Nicholas Bohm <nbohm@ernest.net> said...
>
>> The underlying problem is precisely the limited security of private keys
>> once in widespread use for valuable purposes.
>
>Which is why the timestamping becomes so important. If the timestamp
>shows that you signed the document before such a date, then it matters
>not whether your key becomes lost or compromised after that date.

It only helps for compromises you know about.  Trojans that leak your key
may not trouble to let you know, or leave evidence behind when they've
finished.

>There would be much to be said for letting the land registry act as the
>principal timestamper for these particular purposes (probably as well as
>and not in lieu of other timestamps).

Indeed it would, and as CA too, so that it carried the right risks instead
of trying to shuffle them off.  But that would go against HMG policy of
trying to pass this buck.

Regards

Nicholas

Salkyns, Great Canfield,
Takeley, Bishop’s Stortford CM22 6SX, UK

Phone	01279 871272	(+44 1279 871272)
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PGP RSA 1024 bit public key ID: 0x08340015.  Fingerprint:
9E 15 FB 2A 54 96 24 37  98 A2 E0 D1 34 13 48 07
PGP DSS/DH 1024/3072 public key ID: 0x899DD7FF.  Fingerprint:
5248 1320 B42E 84FC 1E8B  A9E6 0912 AE66 899D D7FF