RFC2315 - Cryptographic Message Syntax

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Cryptographic Message Syntax (PKCS)

Title	Cryptographic Message Syntax
Acronym	PKCS
Version	1981
Document Number	RFC2315
Release Date	March 1998
Reference	https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2315

Note: The following is an excerpt from the official IETF RFC. It is provided here as a convenience and is not authoritative. Refer to the original document as the authoritative reference.

Overview

This document describes a general syntax for data that may have cryptography applied to it, such as digital signatures and digital envelopes. The syntax admits recursion, so that, for example, one envelope can be nested inside another, or one party can sign some previously enveloped digital data. It also allows arbitrary attributes, such as signing time, to be authenticated along with the content of a message, and provides for other attributes such as countersignatures to be associated with a signature. A degenerate case of the syntax provides a means for disseminating certificates and certificate-revocation lists.