MIME-based Secure Peer-to-Peer Business Data Interchange over the Internet
RFC 3335

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Network Working Group                                         T. Harding
Request for Comments: 3335                              Cyclone Commerce
Category: Standards Track                                    R. Drummond
                                                          Drummond Group
                                                                 C. Shih
                                                           Gartner Group
                                                          September 2002

                     MIME-based Secure Peer-to-Peer
              Business Data Interchange over the Internet

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2002).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   This document describes how to exchange structured business data
   securely using SMTP transport for Electronic Data Interchange, (EDI -
   either the American Standards Committee X12 or UN/EDIFACT, Electronic
   Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport), XML or
   other data used for business to business data interchange.  The data
   is packaged using standard MIME content-types.  Authentication and
   privacy are obtained by using Cryptographic Message Syntax (S/MIME)
   or OpenPGP security body parts.  Authenticated acknowledgements make
   use of multipart/signed replies to the original SMTP message.

Harding, et. al.            Standards Track                     [Page 1]
RFC 3335                 MIME-based Secure EDI            September 2002

Table of Contents

   1.0   Introduction .................................................3
   2.0   Overview .....................................................4
   2.1   Purpose of a Security Guideline for MIME EDI .................4
   2.2   Definitions ..................................................4
   2.2.1 Terms ........................................................4
   2.2.2 The Secure Transmission Loop .................................5
   2.2.3 Definition of Receipts .......................................5
   2.3   Assumptions ..................................................6
   2.3.1 EDI Process Assumptions ......................................6
   2.3.2 Flexibility Assumptions ......................................7
   3.0   Referenced RFCs and Their Contribution .......................8
   3.1   RFC 821 SMTP [7] .............................................8
   3.2   RFC 822 Text Message Format [3] ..............................8
   3.3   RFC 1847 MIME Security Multiparts [6] ........................8
   3.4   RFC 1892 Multipart/Report [9] ................................8
   3.5   RFC 1767 EDI Content [2] .....................................9
   3.6   RFC 2015, 3156, 2440 PGP/MIME [4] ............................9
   3.7   RFC 2045, 2046, and 2049 MIME [1] ............................9
   3.8   RFC 2298 Message Disposition Notification [5] ................9
   3.9   RFC 2633 and 2630 S/MIME Version 3 Message Specifications [8] 9
   4.0   Structure of an EDI MIME Message - Applicability .............9
   4.1   Introduction .................................................9
   4.2   Structure of an EDI MIME Message - PGP/MIME .................10
   4.2.1 No Encryption, No Signature .................................10
   4.2.2 No Encryption, Signature ....................................10
   4.2.3 Encryption, No Signature ....................................10
   4.2.4 Encryption, Signature .......................................10
   4.3   Structure of an EDI MIME Message - S/MIME ...................10
   4.3.1 No encryption, No Signature..................................10
   4.3.2 No encryption, Signature ....................................10
   4.3.3 Encryption, No Signature ....................................11
   4.3.4 Encryption, Signature .......................................11
   5.0   Receipts ....................................................11
   5.1   Introduction ................................................11
   5.2   Requesting a Signed Receipt .................................13
   5.2.1 Additional Signed Receipt Considerations ....................16
   5.3   Message Disposition Notification Format .....................17
   5.3.1 Message Disposition Notification Extensions .................18
   5.3.2 Disposition Mode, Type, and Modifier Use ....................19
   5.4   Message Disposition Notification Processing .................21
   5.4.1 Large File Processing .......................................21
   5.4.2 Example .....................................................22
   6.0   Public Key Certificate Handling .............................24