I-D ACTION:draft-ietf-http-digest-aa-05.txt

 A Revised Internet-Draft is available from the on-line Internet-Drafts 
 directories. This draft is a work item of the HyperText Transfer Protocol 
 Working Group of the IETF.                                                

Note: This revision reflects comments received during the last call period.

       Title     : An Extension to HTTP : Digest Access Authentication     
       Author(s) : J. Franks, P. Hallam-Baker, J. Hostetler, 
                   P. Leach, A. Luotonen, E. Sink, L. Stewart
       Filename  : draft-ietf-http-digest-aa-05.txt
       Pages     : 13
       Date      : 09/23/1996

The protocol referred to as "HTTP/1.0" includes the specification for a 
Basic Access Authentication scheme.  This scheme is not considered to be a 
secure method of user authentication, as the user name and password are 
passed over the network as clear text.  A specification for a different 
authentication scheme is needed to address this severe limitation.  This 
document provides specification for such a scheme, referred to as "Digest 
Access Authentication".  Like Basic, Digest access authentication verifies 
that both parties to a communication know a shared secret (a password); 
unlike Basic, this verification can be done without sending the password in
the clear, which is Basic's biggest weakness. As with most other 
authentication protocols, the greatest sources of risks are usually found 
not in the core protocol itself but in policies and procedures surrounding 
its use.                                                                   

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