Network Working Group
Request for Comments: 2065
Updates: 1034, 1035
Category: Standards Track
D. Eastlake, 3rd
CyberCash
C. Kaufman
Iris
January 1997
This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
The Domain Name System (DNS) has become a critical operational part of the Internet infrastructure yet it has no strong security mechanisms to assure data integrity or authentication. Extensions to the DNS are described that provide these services to security aware resolvers or applications through the use of cryptographic digital signatures. These digital signatures are included in secured zones as resource records. Security can still be provided even through non-security aware DNS servers in many cases.
The extensions also provide for the storage of authenticated public keys in the DNS. This storage of keys can support general public key distribution service as well as DNS security. The stored keys enable security aware resolvers to learn the authenticating key of zones in addition to those for which they are initially configured. Keys associated with DNS names can be retrieved to support other protocols. Provision is made for a variety of key types and algorithms.
In addition, the security extensions provide for the optional authentication of DNS protocol transactions.
The significant contributions of the following persons (in alphabetic order) to this document are gratefully acknowledged:
Harald T. Alvestrand Madelyn Badger Scott Bradner Matt Crawford James M. Galvin Olafur Gudmundsson Edie Gunter Sandy Murphy Masataka Ohta Michael A. Patton Jeffrey I. Schiller