New "Everyman's software" from CeBIT in Germany

[Ingo Klöcker]

On Thursday 19 March 2015 09:18:03 Thomas F. Ruddy wrote:
> Dear all,
> 
> I'd be interested in hearing Werner Koch's take on this recent
> innovation. Werner, you speak German:
> 
> A new "Everyman's software" featuring certification, key servers,
> currently Windows only (Linux planned),
> 
> https://www.sit.fraunhofer.de/de/volksverschluesselung/
> 
> Said to be Open Source in this news-story,
> 
> http://www.nzz.ch/mehr/digital/cebit-2015-fraunhofer-volksverschluesselung-1
> .18505017

Both links do not provide technical details. They talk about two things 
provided by their solution: A central PKI and some end-user-friendly software 
for certificate creation which automagically adds the certificate to the 
user's software (email client, browser, other software).

I don't see any indication for a new crypto-standard. So their solution will 
either uses S/MIME or OpenPGP. I suspect it will be S/MIME because more 
software supports S/MIME out-of-the-box. ... I guessed correctly. It's based 
on S/MIME: http://www.golem.de/news/projekt-volksverschluesselung-fraunhofer-institut-vereinfacht-s-mime-einrichtung-1503-113011.html

Moreover, at first one will have to use the eID feature of the new German 
personal identification card for requesting the certification of one's 
certificate.

https://www.sit.fraunhofer.de/de/news/aktuelles/presse/details/news-article/verschluesselung-fuer-alle/ (also in German)


Another crypto project is shown at CeBIT. It's also based on the eID feature.

Governikus (developed for the German BSI) offers web application for 
certifying one's OpenPGP key with one's personal identification card. So it's 
basically key certification by the German government (for German citizen's 
only).
https://www.governikus.com/de/pressemitteilungen#entry_6938266


Both services appear to be restricted to Germany.


Regards,
Ingo
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