From 81411df7cf6dc717a6a56a0b232f3f90f0875573 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Ian Grigg
@@ -28,75 +29,89 @@ TH P { color: #000000 }
Editor: Teus Hagen Definitions of terms: Assurance Policy for CAcert Community Members
Creation date: 2008-05-30
Last change by: Iang
-Last change date: 2008-07-09 16:14 MET
-Status: WIP 2008-05-30
-Next status: DRAFT 12th July 2008 0. Preamble
-
+Status: DRAFT 2008-07-12
+Next status: POLICY 2008-09-30
At each Assurance one allocates a number of Assurance Points, -applied to the assured Member. By combining the Assurances, and the -Assurance Points, CAcert constructs a global Web-of-Trust -or -"WoT".
+ +In face-to-face meetings,
+an Assurer allocates a number of Assurance Points
+to the Member being Assured.
+CAcert combines the Assurance Points
+into a global Web-of-Trust (or "WoT").
+
At each Assurance one allocates a number of Assurance Points,
+-applied to the assured Member. By combining the Assurances, and the
+-Assurance Points, CAcert constructs a global Web-of-Trust
CAcert explicitly chooses to meet its various goals by
-construction of a Web-of-Trust of all Members. This is done by
-face-to-face meetings, identifying and sharing claims in a network.
-Maintaining a sufficient strength for the Web-of-Trust is a
+construction of a Web-of-Trust of all Members.
+ This is done by
+-face-to-face meetings, identifying and sharing claims in a network.
+Maintaining a sufficient strength of the Web-of-Trust is a
high-level objective of the Assurance process.
Documentation on Assurance is split between this Assurance
Policy
(AP) and the Assurance
Handbook. The policy is controlled by Configuration Control
Specification (CCS)
under Policy on Policy (PoP)
-policy document regime.
-Because Assurance is an active area, much
+policy document regime. Because Assurance is an active area, much
of the practice is handed over to the Assurance Handbook, which is
not a controlled policy document, and can more easily respond to
experience and circumstances. It is also more readable.
See also Organisation Assurance Policy (OAP) and CAcert Policy Statement (CPS).
-The purpose of Assurance is to add confidence in the Assurance Statement made by the CAcert Community of a Member.
-With sufficient assurances, a Member may: (a) issue -certificates +
With sufficient assurances, a Member may: (a) issue certificates with their assured Name included, (b) participate in assuring others, and (c) other related activities. The strength of these activities is based on the strength of the assurance.
-The following claims can be made about a person who is -assured:
+The Assurance Statement makes the following claims
+about a person:
+
+
The following claims can be made about a person who is
+assured:
The person is a bona fide Member. In other words, the @@ -113,68 +128,85 @@ issued by the Account;
The Member is bound into CAcert's Arbitration as defined -by the Community Agreement;
+by the CAcert Community Agreement;Some personal details of the Member are known to CAcert: the individual Name(s), primary and other listed individual email -address(es), secondary distinguished feature (e.g. DoB).
+address(es), secondary distinguishingThe confidence level of the Assurance Statement is expressed -by +
The confidence level of the Assurance Statement is expressed by the Assurance Points.
-The primary goal of the Assurance Statement is for the express -purpose of certificates to meet the needs of the Relying -Party -Statement, which latter is found in the Certification -Practice +purpose of certificates to meet the needs of the Relying Party +Statement, which latter is found in the Certification Practice Statement (CPS).
-When a certificate is issued, some of the Assurance Statement -may +
When a certificate is issued, some of the Assurance Statement may be incorporated, e.g. Name. Other parts may be implied, e.g. Membership, exact account and status. They all are part of the -Relying Party Statement. In short, this means that -other +Relying Party Statement. In short, this means that other Members of the Community may rely on the information verified by -Assurance and found in the certificate.
-In particular, certificates are sometimes considered to -provide +Assurance and found in the certificate.
+In particular, certificates are sometimes considered to provide reliable indications of e.g. the Member's Name and email address. The nature of Assurance, the number of Assurance Points, and other policies and processes should be understood as limitations on any reliance.
-At least one individual Name is recorded -in the -CAcert login account. The Name is recorded as a string of characters, -encoded in unicode -transformation format.
-A Name should be as fully written in a +
At least one individual Name is recorded in the Member's +CAcert login account. The general standard of a Name is: +
+The Name should be recorded as fully written in a
+government-issued photo identity document (ID).
The Name should be recorded as completely as possible.
+That is, including all middle names, any titles and extensions,
+without abbreviations, and without transliteration of characters.
+
+
+A Name should be as fully written in a
government-issued identity document (ID). A Name should be as
complete as possible, that is not abbreviated, no transliteration of
-characters in the Name.
A Name in the CAcert login account, which -has reached -the applicable level of 50 Assurance Point is defined as an Assured -Name. An Assured Name can be used in a certificate issued by CAcert. -A Member with at least one Assured Name has reached the Assured -Member status.
-A Member may have multiple Names or multiple variations of a +characters in the Name. +
+ +The Name is recorded as a string of characters, +encoded in unicode +transformation format.
++ +In order to handle the contradictions in the above general standard, +a Member may record multiple Names or multiple variations of a Name +in her CAcert online Account. +Examples of variations include married names, +variations of initials of first or middle names, +abbreviations of a first name, +different language or country variations, +and transliterations of characters in a name.
+ + ++A Member may have multiple Names or multiple variations of a Name. For example, married name, variations of initials of first or middle names, abbreviation of a first name, different language or country variations and transliterations of characters in a name.
-The login account may record multiple Names. Each of the -Assured -Names can be selected to be used in a certificate issued by CAcert.
+The login account may record multiple Names. Each of the Assured +Names can be selected to be used in a certificate issued by CAcert. +
-A Member has the following capabilities derived from -Assurance:
+A Name which has reached +the level of 50 Assurance Points is defined as an Assured +Name. An Assured Name can be used in a certificate issued by CAcert. +A Member with at least one Assured Name has reached the Assured +Member status. +Additional capabilities are described in Table 1.
+ + ++A Member has the following capabilities derived from +Assurance:
+ ++Table 1: +Assurance Capability
-
@@ -351,7 +397,7 @@ allocation of Assurance Points is awaiting login account creation. 0
- request unnamed certificates
+Request unnamed certificates
Member
@@ -366,7 +412,7 @@ recorded in the account, they are not highly assured.50
- request named certificates
+Request named certificates
Assured Member
@@ -381,7 +427,7 @@ assured to 50 Assurance Points or more100
- become an Assurer
+Become an Assurer
Prospective Assurer
@@ -393,15 +439,20 @@ more) on at least one Name, and passing the Assurer Challenge.table -Assurance Capability
+
A Member may check the status of another Member, especially -for an -assurance process.
-The CAcert Policy Statement (CPS) +for an assurance process. + +Status may be implied from information in a certificate. +The number of Assurance Points for each Member is not published. + +
+The CAcert Policy Statement +(CPS) and other policies may list other capabilities that rely on Assurance Points.
-An Assurer is a Member with the following:
The Assurer Challenge is administered by the Education Team on behalf of the Assurance Officer.
-The Assurer is obliged to:
The Assurer conducts the process of Assurance with each Member.
The process consists of:
@@ -474,11 +525,11 @@ Distinguishing Feature, e.g., DoB); Assuree (Mutual Assurance);Safe keeping of the CAcert Assurance Programme (CAP) +
Safekeeping of the CAcert Assurance Programme (CAP) forms by Assurer.
Mutual Assurance follows the principle of reciprocity. This means that the Assurance may be two-way, and that each member participating @@ -491,13 +542,17 @@ procedure and process, and is responsible for the results.
the Assurer, and reduces any sense of power. It is also an important aid to the assurance training for future Assurers. + +On the question of providing evidence that one is an Assurer, CAcert Policy Statement (CPS) says: "The level at which each Member is Assured is public data. The number of Assurance Points for each Member is not published..".
-The Assurance applies Assurance Points to each Member which measure the increase of confidence in the Statement (above). Assurance Points should not be interpreted for any other purpose. @@ -525,45 +580,50 @@ information presented:
The Assurance Statement is confirmed.
-Any lesser confidence should result in less Assurance Points -for a +
Any lesser confidence should result in less Assurance Points for a Name. If the Assurer has no confidence in the information presented, -then zero Assurance Points may be allocated by -the Assurer. +then zero Assurance Points may be allocated by the Assurer. For example, this may happen if the identity documents are totally unfamiliar to the Assurer. The number of Assurance Points from zero to maximum is guided by the Assurance Handbook -and the -judgement of the Assurer.
-Multiple Names should be allocated separately in a single -Assurance.
-A (new) Member who is not an Assurer may award an Assurer in a -reciprocal process a maximum of 2 Assurance Points, according to his +and the judgement of the Assurer. + +If there is negative confidence the Assurer should consider +filing a dispute.
+Multiple Names should be allocated Assurance Points +independently within a single Assurance.
+A (new) Member who is not an Assurer may award an Assurer in a
+reciprocal process a maximum of 2 Assurance Points, according to
+her his
judgement. The Assurer should strive to have the Member allocate
-according to the Member's judgement, and stay on the cautious side a
-maximum of Assurance Points per Name; a (new) Member new to the
-assurance process should allocate zero Assurance
-Points
-until they get some confidence in what is happening.
To reach 50 Assurance Points for a Name the Member must
+according to the Member's judgement, and stay on the cautious side
+a maximum of AssurancePoints per Name ;
+the (new) Member new to the assurance process
+should allocate zero Assurance Points
+until she gains they gets some confidence in what is happening.
In general, for a Member to reach 50 Assurance Points, the Member must
+have participated in at least two assurances, and
+at least one Name will have been assured to that level.
+
To reach 50 Assurance Points for a Name the Member must
have had at least two assurances on that Name: the Assured Member has
-at least one Name assured, the Assured Name.
To reach 100 Assurance Points, at least one Name of the Assured Member must have been assured at least three times.
-The maximum number of -Assurance -Points, which can be allocated for a Name assurance under this policy -and subsidiary policies is 50 Assurance Points.
-If there is negative confidence the Assurer should consider -filing -a dispute.
-The maximum number of Assurance
+Points which can be allocated for an Name Assurance under this policy
+and under any act under any
+Subsidiary Policy (below) is 50 Assurance Points.
The maximum number of Assurance Points that may be awarded by an Assurer is determined by the Experience Points of the Assurer.
-+Table 2: +Maximum of Assurance Points +
-
@@ -624,11 +684,7 @@ Assurer is determined by the Experience Points of the Assurer.
table -Maximum of Assurance Points -
+An Assurer is given a maximum of 2 Experience Points for every completed Assurance. On reaching Assurer status, the Experience Points start at 0 (zero).
@@ -640,7 +696,7 @@ permanently to an Assurer by CAcert Inc.'s Committee (board), on recommendation from the Assurance Officer.Experience Points are not to be confused with Assurance Points.
-The CAcert Assurance Programme (CAP) form requests the following details of each Member or Prospective Member:
@@ -692,7 +748,7 @@ required as well;The CAP forms are to be kept at least for 7 years by the Assurer.
-The Committee (board) of CAcert Inc. appoints an Assurance Officer with the following responsibilities:
@@ -732,57 +788,50 @@ procedures or guidelines; (web-of-trust) to meet the agreed needs of the Community. -The Assurance Officer manages various exceptions and -additional +
The Assurance Officer manages various exceptions and additional processes. Each must be covered by an approved Subsidiary Policy (refer to Policy on Policy => CAcert Official Document COD1). Subsidiary Policies specify any additional tests of knowledge required and variations to process and documentation, within the general standard stated here.
-Each Subsidiary Policy must augment and improve the general standards in this Assurance Policy. It is the responsibility of each Subsidiary Policy to describe how it maintains and improves the specific and overall goals. It must describe exceptions and potential areas of risk.
-In addition to the Assurance or Experience Points ratings set -here -in and in other policies, Assurance Officer or policies can +here and in other subsidiary policies, the Assurance Officer or policies can designate certain applications as high risk. If so, additional measures may be added to the Assurance process that specifically address the risks.
-Additional measures may include additional information. -Additional -information can be required in process of assurance:
+Additional measures may include additional information:
Additional Information is to be kept by Assurer, attached to CAcert Assurance Programme (CAP) form. Assurance Points allocation by this assurance is unchanged. User's CAcert login account should be annotated to record type of -additional information:
-Arbitration:
Member to participate in Arbitration. This confirms +
Member to file Arbitration to present case. This -allows Arbitrator as final authority;
+Applications that might attract additional measures include code-signing certificates and administration roles.
-CAcert is a "privacy" organisation, and takes the privacy of its Members seriously. The process maintains the security and privacy of both parties.
@@ -829,6 +878,6 @@ administration when operating under the authority of Arbitrator or under CAcert policy. -