Simple Public-Key GASS-API Mechanism (SPKM)
The SPKM allows both unilateral and mutual authentication to be accomplished without the use of secure timestamps
The SPKM uses Algorithm Identifiers to specify various algorithms to be used by the communicating peers
The SPKM allows the option of a true, asymmetric algorithm-based, digital signatures, rather than an integrity checksum based on a MAC computed with a symmetric algorithm (e.g., DES)
SPKM data formats and procedures are designed to be as similar to those of the Keberos mechanism as is practical. This is done for ease of implementation in those environments where Keberos has already been implemented.