ietf-smime
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protected content

1998-03-27 05:05:57
How can the type of protected information be identified in s/mime.

It is the intention of the S/MIME specification to be used to protect 
information which is encoded in any form.  If multi S/MIME wrapping is 
performed, inner most content is identified a "id-data".  This gives no clue as 
to the encoding or type of the information being protected. Does anyone agree 
that it would be useful to identify the type and encoding of the protected 
information? or do you disagree?

In some off-line discussion it was sujested that the contentHints attribute as 
defined in ESS may be used for this purpose. Also , the ess-02 draft eluded to 
an attribute called "encapsulatedContentType" which may have been intended to 
meet this requirement. 

I think the title of contentHints is wrong if is is used for this purpose, 
second as defined currently it is not up to the job.

If the above is agree, a new type of ttribute is should be defined replacing 
contentHints.
The following is a starter for ten based  based on renaming and extendingn the 
current "contentHints" attribute.

ProtectedInformationTypeAttribute ::= SEQUNCE {
contentDescription 
   
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