Previously: EIL June, EIL July, EIL August, EIL September, EIL October, EIL November

SCEP - Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol

Technically, SCEP (RFC 8894) is an HTTP-based protocol that automates the distribution of X.509 certificates by wrapping a PKCS#10 request inside a PKCS#7 encrypted envelope. It authenticates these requests using a pre-shared challenge password, allowing “headless” devices like routers and mobile phones to securely enroll with a Certificate Authority without manual intervention.

  • SCEP is like a hotel room you enter with a generic password (Shared Secret). If someone steals that password, they can get in.
  • Modern TLS (EST/ACME) is like a high-end office you enter with a biometric scan or a unique, encrypted digital key. It ensures the device is exactly who it claims to be before it ever sees the “key.”

**The Passion of the Cut Sleeve - Han Dynasty, China (~7–1 BCE)

** A story between Emperor Ai of Han & his favorite official, Dong Xian. While the two were napping together, the Emperor woke to find Dong Xian fast asleep on his long silk sleeve. Emperor didn’t want to disturb Dod Xian, so he took a knife and cut off his own sleeve to leave quietly. The phrase “Passion of the Cut Sleeve” (duanxiu) became the standard literary euphemism for male homosexuality in China for two millennia.

Chandra OCR by Datalab - OCR model that handles complex tables, forms, handwriting with full layout

Datalab’s Chandra is great at benchmarks:

  • Supports 40+ languages
  • Extracts complex texts, tables, formulas easily

100% open-source.

https://github.com/datalab-to/chandra

A very short story of Switzerland

Switzerland stayed out of major foreign wars mainly because it chose “permanent neutrality”. European powers formally recognised Switzerland’s neutral status at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, and the Swiss committed to not joining military alliances, not sending troops to fight and not letting warring armies use its territory. This became central to its foreign policy and helped it avoid participation in the World Wars and other conflicts. Switzerland did not fight in World War I or World War II. Its neutrality was backed by armed defence and diplomacy. Also the Alps and prepared defence forces made invasion unattractive to neighbours. 

Switzerland’s wealth comes from a mix of economic strengths: a very high GDP per capita; a globally important banking and finance sector supported by decades of stable, “neutral policy”; advanced pharmaceuticals and chemicals exports; and precision manufacturing like watches.

Neutrality kept Switzerland out of destructive wars, and long-term stability, global trade, and strong financial and tech sectors made it rich.