Hello,

I am applying for a CPAN author account, and here is my info:

   * your name:  John Pliam
   * your email address: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
   * your homepage: (for unknown duration) www.ima.umn.edu/~pliam
   * your preferred user-ID: PLIAM
   * a short description of what you're planning to contribute:

I am currently alpha-testing (Yet Another) Apache authentication
module.  Unlike all existing modules on CPAN, I believe my module
would be:

   - The only which securely handles the sharing of multiple
     credentials across multiple hosts (even across DNS domains).
   - The only one in which URL-mangled and HTTP cookie credentials
     can coexist under a single framework governed by a single security
     policy.
   - The only one where an access control decision can easily be based on
     both the current session strength and the original authentication
     strength.
   - Only one with built-in support for idle timeouts as well as
     conventional expiration.

The HTTP cookie mechanism is fraught with bizarre traps and gotchas (see
~pliam/cky in my web site, e.g.).  The IETF with its RFC2964 (a best
current practice) utterly *forbids* its use as an authentication mechanism.
My module essentially attempts to ameliorate the `best current practice' by
designing the Apache module as cryptographic protocol first.

I've looked at: Apache-AuthCookie-*, ApacheCookieEncrypted-*,
Apache-AuthTicket-*, Apache-AuthenURL-*.  Some of these are quite
mature and I would use them in cert circumstances, but in other
circumstances I couldn't use or easily modify them to achieve
a desired level of security.  So perhaps there is room for more ...
:-)

Best Regards,

John Pliam
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

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