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Re: WG Review: Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (dmarc)

2014-07-20 13:24:17
I will not comment on the 85 messages in the thread.  However, I would like to 
point out that STIR is working on a similar problem with similar goals but in a 
more constrained environment.  I would offer coordination between WG’s, should 
DMARC be chartered, would be “a good thing.”

On Jul 14, 2014, at 12:42 PM, The IESG <iesg-secretary(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org> 
wrote:

A new IETF working group has been proposed in the Applications Area. The
IESG has not made any determination yet. The following draft charter was
submitted, and is provided for informational purposes only. Please send
your comments to the IESG mailing list (iesg at ietf.org) by 2014-07-24.

Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (dmarc)
------------------------------------------------
Current Status: Proposed WG

Assigned Area Director:
 Pete Resnick <presnick(_at_)qti(_dot_)qualcomm(_dot_)com>

Mailing list
 Address: dmarc(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
 To Subscribe: https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/dmarc
 Archive: http://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/dmarc/

Charter:

  Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC)
  uses existing mail authentication technologies (SPF and DKIM) to
  extend validation to the RFC5322.From field. DMARC uses DNS records
  to add policy-related requests for receivers and defines a feedback
  mechanism from receivers back to domain owners. This allows a domain
  owner to advertise that mail can safely receive differential
  handling, such as rejection, when the use of the domain name in the
  From field is not authenticated. Existing deployment of DMARC has
  demonstrated utility at internet scale, in dealing with significant
  email abuse, and has permitted simplifying some mail handling
  processes.

  The existing base specification is being submitted as an Independent
  Submission to become an Informational RFC.

  However, DMARC is problematic for mail that does not flow from
  operators having a relationship with the domain owner, directly to
  receivers operating the destination mailbox. Examples of such
  "indirect" flows are mailing lists, publish-to-friend functionality,
  mailbox forwarding (".forward"), and third-party services that send
  on behalf of clients. The working group will explore possible updates
  and extensions to the specifications in order to address limitations
  and/or add capabilities. It will also provide technical
  implementation guidance and review possible enhancements elsewhere in
  the mail handling sequence that could improve could DMARC
  compatibility.

  Specifications produced by the working group will ensure preservation
  of DMARC utility for detecting unauthorized use of domain names,
  while improving the identification of legitimate sources that do not
  currently conform to DMARC requirements. Issues based on operational
  experience and/or data aggregated from multiple sources will be given
  priority.

  The working group will seek to preserve interoperability with the
  installed base of DMARC systems, and provide detailed justification
  for any non-interoperability. As the working group develops solutions
  to deal with indirect mail flows, it will seek to maintain the
  end-to-end nature of existing identifier fields in mail, in
  particular avoiding solutions that require rewriting of originator
  fields.


  Working group activities will pursue three tracks:

     1. Addressing the issues with indirect mail flows

  The working group will specify mechanisms for reducing or eliminating
  the DMARC's effects on indirect mail flows, including deployed
  behaviors of many different intermediaries, such as mailing list
  managers, automated mailbox forwarding services, and MTAs that
  perform enhanced message handling that results in message
  modification. Among the choices for addressing these issues are:

     - A form of DKIM signature that is better able to survive transit
       through intermediaries.

     - Collaborative or passive transitive mechanisms that enable an
       intermediary to participate in the trust sequence, propagating
       authentication directly or reporting its results.

     - Message modification by an intermediary, to avoid authentication
       failures, such as by using specified conventions for changing
       the aligned identity.

  Consideration also will be given to survivable authentication through
  sequences of multiple intermediaries.


     2. Reviewing and improving the base DMARC specification

  The working group will not develop additional mail authentication
  technologies, but may document authentication requirements that are
  desirable.

  The base specification relies on the ability of an email receiver to
  determine the organizational domain responsible for sending mail.  An
  organizational domain is the 'base' name that is allocated from a
  public registry; examples of registries include ".com" or ".co.uk".
  While the common practice is to use a "public suffix" list to
  determine organizational domain, it is widely recognized that this
  solution will not scale, and that the current list often is
  inaccurate. The task of defining a standard mechanism for identifying
  organizational domain is out of scope for this working group. However
  the working group can consider extending the base DMARC specification
  to accommodate such a standard, should it be developed during the
  life of this working group.

  Improvements in DMARC features (identifier alignment, reporting,
  policy preferences) will be considered, such as:

     - Enumeration of data elements required in "Failure" reports
       (specifically to address privacy issues)
     - Handling potential reporting abuse
     - Aggregate reporting to support additional reporting scenarios
     - Alternate reporting channels
     - Utility of arbitrary identifier alignment
     - Utility of a formalized policy exception mechanism


     3.  DMARC Usage

  The working group will document operational practices in terms of
  configuration, installation, monitoring, diagnosis and reporting. It
  will catalog currently prevailing guidelines as well as developing
  advice on practices that are not yet well-established but which are
  believed to be appropriate.

  The group will consider separating configuration and other deployment
  information that needs to be in the base spec, from information that
  should be in a separate guide.

  Among the topics anticipated to be included in the document are:

     - Identifier alignment configuration options
     - Implementation decisions regarding "pct"
     - Determining effective RUA sending frequency
     - Leveraging policy caching
     - Various options for integrating within an existing flow
     - Defining a useful, common set of options for the addresses to
       which feedback reports are to be sent
     - When and how to use local policy override options


  Work Items
  ----------

  Phase I:

     Draft description of interoperability issues for indirect mail
     flows and plausible methods for reducing them.

  Phase II:

     Specification of DMARC improvements to support indirect mail flows

     Draft Guide on DMARC Usage

  Phase III:

     Review and refinement of the DMARC specification

     Completion of Guide on DMARC Usage



  References
  ----------

  DMARC - http://dmarc.org
  SPF - RFC7208
  DKIM - RFC6376
  Internet Message Format - RFC5322
  OAR / Original Authentication Results -
     draft-kucherawy-original-authres
  Using DMARC -  draft-crocker-dmarc-bcp-03


Milestones:

TBD


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