In June 2003, the OASIS Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Technical Committee conducted a survey to identify the biggest obstacles to PKI deployment and usage so that they can be addressed. Results from this survey are available at http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/pki/pkiobstaclesjune2003surveyreport.pdf.
The OASIS PKI TC has prepared this follow-up survey, which aims to clarify and better understand the obstacles identified in the earlier survey. This survey will only be active from August 11 through September 7.
In late September, the OASIS PKI TC will gather to review the survey results and agree on steps to address the obstacles identified. Then we will work with vendors, customers, standards groups, and others to agree on an action plan and put it into practice. Anyone who completes this survey will receive a copy of our report on the survey, a copy of our action plan, and an invitation to participate in putting it into practice.
But first we need your help. Please complete this survey. Together, we can help make PKI better.
Privacy
To respect your privacy, responses will be kept confidential and only reported in aggregate form. However, your individual response will be used by OASIS PKI TC members and OASIS staff members in tabulating our results. If you choose to complete this survey, we will send you a copy of the survey results and invitations to participate in future surveys conducted by the OASIS PKI TC. Your email address will not be used for any other purposes or disclosed to anyone outside of OASIS. Please note that by submitting your answers to this survey, you consent to the transfer of data outside of your home country to members of the OASIS PKI TC and OASIS staff members.
1. Please enter your email address. This answer is required. It is necessary to correlate your answers to this survey with your answers to the last survey. However, it will only be used as described in the Privacy statement above.
Applications
2. Document Signing
Document Signing had the highest ranking of all applications in our previous survey. But Document Signing is a broad term. Please indicate the importance to you of these three types of Document Signing:
Not Important Important Most Important Signing Contracts (legally binding) Signing Electronic Forms (not contracts) Signing Documents before Dissemination (so recipients can verify their source and integrity)
Not Important
Important
Most Important
Signing Contracts (legally binding)
Signing Electronic Forms (not contracts)
Signing Documents before Dissemination (so recipients can verify their source and integrity)
Using Points to Indicate Relative Importance
For many questions below, we will ask you to allocate 10 points among a set of items. Why? We want you to indicate how important the items are relative to each other, in your opinion.
Note that you are free to allocate the points as you see fit and there is no need to allocate points to each item, only to those you feel are important. For example all 10 points could be allocated to a single item if you feel that reflects the relative importance.If you prefer to use 100 points for one set of items (or some other number of points), that's fine with us. We will normalize your point totals.
3. Obstacles
Please use the point system described in the previous paragraph to indicate which of these obstacles to PKI deployment and usage are most important, in your view.
Note that this list includes several obstacles that were listed as an Other Obstacle by multiple respondents to our previous survey. We have added them to our list here to see whether there is widespread agreement that they are important.
Software Applications Don't Support It Costs Too High PKI Poorly Understood Poor Interoperability Hard to Get Started - Too Complex Hard for End Users to Use Lack of Management Support Too Much Legal Work Required Hard for IT to Maintain Insufficient Need Enrollment Too Complicated Smart Card Problems Revocation Hard Standards Problems Too Much Focus on Technology, Not Enough on Need
Software Applications Don't Support It
Costs Too High
PKI Poorly Understood
Poor Interoperability
Hard to Get Started - Too Complex
Hard for End Users to Use
Lack of Management Support
Too Much Legal Work Required
Hard for IT to Maintain
Insufficient Need
Enrollment Too Complicated
Smart Card Problems
Revocation Hard
Standards Problems
Too Much Focus on Technology, Not Enough on Need
Detailed Analysis of Obstacles
The last survey included several broad obstacles that we must understand in more detail before we can address them. Here we ask you to provide more detail about the four obstacles that were most highly ranked in responses to the previous survey.
4) Software Applications Don't Support It
Most respondents to our previous survey indicated that "Software Applications Don't Support It" is an obstacle to PKI deployment and usage. If you believe that it is not an obstacle, please skip to question 5.
4a. Which of these software applications most critically needs improvements in PKI support?
Please allocate 10 (or more) points.
Document Signing Web Server Security Secure Email Web Services Security Virtual Private Network Single Sign On Secure Wireless LAN Electronic Commerce Code Signing Secure RPC
Document Signing
Web Server Security
Secure Email
Web Services Security
Virtual Private Network
Single Sign On
Secure Wireless LAN
Electronic Commerce
Code Signing
Secure RPC
4b. Please tell us whether the applications you ranked highly above are completely lacking in PKI support or have some PKI support, but that support is insufficient. If the support is insufficient, in what way?
4c. Do you have any specific suggestions for things the OASIS PKI TC (or others) could do to help improve application support?
5) Costs Too High
Most respondents to our previous survey indicated that "Costs Too High" is an obstacle to PKI deployment and usage. If you believe that it is not an obstacle, please skip to question 6.
5a. Which of these costs are most problematic in PKI deployment and usage?
Please allocate 10 (or more) points among these items to indicate which of these costs are most problematic in PKI deployment and usage.
Cost of Initial System Design Cost of Software Acquisition Cost of Secure Facilities Cost of Software Integration Cost of Training Cost of Cross-Certification Non-technical Setup Costs (e.g. legal & CPS) Cost of Smart Cards and Readers Cost of Initial Certificate Issuance Cost of Support Contracts Cost of End-User Support Cost of On-going Operations Other Costs (describe below)
Cost of Initial System Design
Cost of Software Acquisition
Cost of Secure Facilities
Cost of Software Integration
Cost of Training
Cost of Cross-Certification
Non-technical Setup Costs (e.g. legal & CPS)
Cost of Smart Cards and Readers
Cost of Initial Certificate Issuance
Cost of Support Contracts
Cost of End-User Support
Cost of On-going Operations
Other Costs (describe below)
Other Costs:
5b. Would you say that these cost problems are largely eliminated if the number of users involved is large (amortizing large fixed costs)?
Yes No
5c. Do your comments about costs pertain primarily to outsourced PKI services, in-house PKI, or both?
Outsourced PKI In-house PKI Both
5d. Do you have any specific suggestions for things the OASIS PKI TC (or others) could do to help reduce costs?
6) PKI Poorly Understood
Most respondents to our previous survey indicated that "PKI Poorly Understood" is an obstacle to PKI deployment and usage. If you believe that it is not an obstacle, please skip to question 7.
6a. Here is a list of parties often involved in PKI deployment and usage. Please allocate 10 (or more) points among these items to indicate where greater PKI understanding is most needed.
Senior Management IT Management IT Staff Users Vendors Other (Describe Below)
Senior Management
IT Management
IT Staff
Users
Vendors
Other (Describe Below)
Other Parties:
6b. Do you have any specific suggestions for things the OASIS PKI TC (or others) could do to help increase understanding of PKI?
7) Poor Interoperability
Most respondents to our previous survey indicated that "Poor Interoperability" is an obstacle to PKI deployment and usage. If you believe that it is not an obstacle, please skip to question 8.
7a. Where do the most serious interoperability problems arise?
Please allocate 10 (or more) points among these items.
Certificate Issuance Certificate Revocation Path Validation Protocols that Use PKI (such as SSL or S/MIME) Unusual Certificate Contents Smart Card Cross-Certification Other (describe below)
Certificate Issuance
Certificate Revocation
Path Validation
Protocols that Use PKI (such as SSL or S/MIME)
Unusual Certificate Contents
Smart Card
Cross-Certification
Other (describe below)
Other:
7b. Interoperability is an especially complex area. Please describe any interoperability problems you want to highlight.
7c. Do you have any specific suggestions for things the OASIS PKI TC (or others) could do to help improve interoperability?
8. Other Comments or Suggestions
If you have any other comments or suggestions to offer, please feel free to do so here. We are especially interested in hearing your thoughts on how to address the obstacles listed in this survey. We will consider your comments carefully.
You may also email comments to the OASIS PKI TC co-chairs at pki-tc-chair@lists.oasis-open.org. These comments will be passed on to the rest of the TC after any identifying information has been removed.
We welcome all new participants in the work of the OASIS PKI TC. See http://www.oasis-open.org/join/ or email pki-tc-chair@lists.oasis-open.org for details.
NOTE: We have saved any comments you supplied in response to the previous survey. Those comments will be carefully considered in relation to these questions as well.
Thanks for your help, The OASIS PKI TC
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