[aprssig] APRS-IS Passcode alternative: SSL + Certificates, with no data encryption

[Jason KG4WSV]

On Mon, Mar 31, 2014 at 3:47 PM,  <pfbram at comcast.net> wrote:
> Just thinking out loud here, but how about a separate
> authentication/verification system in which I/SGATE operators login to an
> SSL

Involving SSL doesn't magically make a system secure.  SSL is about
encrypting traffic in flight - that's it.  Forcing use of SSL can
provide some measure of authentication, based on the whole CA system.

>  And it would require a
> centralized database.

That little aside _is_ the problem.  Who do you trust? Who do you
trust to keep a list of people that can be trusted?

For any authentication system to work, someone has to keep a list, and
then be willing to deal with all the extra work involved in certifying
everyone on the list.


I'm with Steve K4HG on this one - as far as APRS is concerned all I'm
seeing are solutions in search of problems.

-Jason
kg4wsv