[cabfpub] Ambiguous use of MAY in 8.5.1 of the EV Guidelines

Ryan Sleevi sleevi at google.com
Tue Nov 24 09:44:47 MST 2015


Reposting this in behalf of Mike MacCana:

Section 8.5.1 https://cabforum.org/wp-content/uploads/EV-V1_5_7.pdf reads:

    8.5.1. General

    The CA MAY only issue EV Certificates to Applicants that meet the
Private Organization, Government Entity, Business Entity and Non-Commercial
Entity requirements specified below.

Per RFC 2119 (which the EV guidelines use, see '6: Definitions'), 'may'
doesn't quite seem accurate for what's being conveyed.

Quoting RFC 2119:

    MAY: This word, or the adjective "OPTIONAL", mean that an item is truly
optional.

Reading the EV guidelines here, I do not believe that 'truly optional' is
the intention of section 8.5.1.

Perhaps using the word 'must' and rewording would clarify the intention
here:

    The CA MUST only issue EV Certificates to Applicants that meet at least
of one the Private Organization, Government Entity, Business Entity and
Non-Commercial Entity requirements specified below.

Thanks,

Mike

-- 

Mike MacCana

Founder, CertSimple <https://certsimple.com/>

M: +44 7547 004474
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