Liaison to ANSI X9 on XML Timestamping

["Nick Pope" <pope@secstan.com>]

I propose the following liaison to ANSI X9 (Financial services) on XML
time-stamping.


LIAISON
FROM: OASIS DIGITAL SIGNATURE SERVICES TECHNICAL COMMITTEE TECHNICAL
COMMITTEE
TO: ANSI X9F4
SUBJECT: XML BASED SERVICES FOR TIME-STAMPING
DATE: 5TH SEPT 2004 (DRAFT FOR DSS MEMBERS)


The OASIS Digital Signature Services Technical Committee (DSS TC)  note with
interest the ANSI working draft X9.95 for Trusted Time Stamp Part 1:
Management & Security.  This document provides a comprehensive specification
for the time-stamping services using either ASN.1 or XML technologies, which
usefully includes specifications for the secure management of their
operations.

The OASIS DSS TC has produced a generic core protocol for access to
digital signature services based around Web (XML) techniques as well as a
specific profile for use of this protocol for access to time-stamping
services.  The time-stamping profile includes support for RFC 3161 ASN.1
based time-stamps as well as an XML equivalent to this time-stamp token.
As well as defining protocols for creations of time-stamps, DSS also
supports verification.  Copies of the Core DSS protocol and time-stamping
profile is available through the OASIS DSS TC web site at:
   http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=dss

The OASIS DSS TC would be pleased to work with ANSI X9F4 in ensuring
alignment in the area of commonality between X9.95 and the DSS core protocol
time-stamping profile.  We believe that by bringing together the work of the
two groups unnecessary fragmentation in the marketplace is avoided, saving
costs of suppliers and consumers.  In particular, ANSI X9F4 may wish to
consider use of the DSS protocol as the basis of:

-	 Time Stamp Request / Response XML given in 7.2.3 and 7.3.3 of the draft
X9.95
-	TST token XML in 8.1.3.2, and
-	For verification of the Time-stamp token.

The OASIS DSS TC would welcome any comments that X9F5 have on the DSS
specifications that may further assist in alignment.

Nick Pope (pope@secstan.com)
Juan Carlos Cruellas (Cruellas@ac.upc.es
Co-chairs OASIS DSS TC