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From: "Dennis E. Hamilton" <dennis.hamilton@acm.org>
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Subject: RE: [RELEASE,CODE]: Bug 119090 - Default Encryption Fails for
 Down-Level Implementations
Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2012 06:28:03 -0700
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Rob,

 1. It is absurd to make headway to strengthen security without =
addressing the weakest links first. When has that ever been a design =
principle?=20

 2. The proposal is not to abandon AES but to not make it the default.  =
Folks for whom AES is imperative can elect it.  Packagers in enterprises =
can even configure it.  If it is as easy as claimed, why do this instead =
of a silent, forced change that causes the most pain to the =
least-expert?

 3. To address a check-off item without addressing the actual security =
situation and what is achieved in actual context brands us as the =
amateurs.  For me, it is an ethical issue I can't step over as a =
computer-system professional.  (The fact that I can see this much as an =
amateur document-security wonk is an indication of how fragile, and =
amateurish, the security of ODF document encryption is.)

 - Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Rob Weir [mailto:robweir@apache.org]=20
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2012 17:32
To: ooo-dev@incubator.apache.org
Subject: Re: [RELEASE,CODE]: Bug 119090 - Default Encryption Fails for =
Down-Level Implementations

On Fri, Mar 23, 2012 at 4:23 PM, Dennis E. Hamilton
[ ... ]

Yes, security is only as strong as the weakest link.  But that is an
argument for improving all the links.  It is not an argument for
undoing improvements that have already been made to some of the links.
 We're not required to refurbish the battleship all in one day.  We
can work deck-by-deck.

The advantage of AES is that it is a known quantity, a standard, and
is called out as a requirement for government procurement in several
countries, including the US.

[ ... ]