Year: 1999
Type: article
Abstract: Internet browsers use security protocols to protect sensitive messages. An inductive analysis of TLS (a descendant of SSL 3.0) has been performed using the theorem prover Isabelle. Proofs are based on higher-order logic and make no assumptions concerning beliefs of finiteness. All the obvious security goals can be proved; session resumption appears to be secure even if old session keys are compromised. The proofs suggest minor changes to simplify the analysis. TLS, even at an abstract level, is much more complicated than most protocols verified by researchers. Session keys are negotiated rather than distributed, and the protocol has many optional parts. Netherless, the resources needed to verify TLS are modest: six man-weeks of effort and three minutes of processor time.
Author: Lawrence C. Paulson
Institution: University of Cambridge
Language: English
Subfield: Computer Networks and Communications
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1996736473