The Universal Zero-Port Interconnect Framework (UZPIF): An Identity-Centric Architecture for Post-Port Networking

The Universal Zero-Port Interconnect Framework (UZPIF) describes a post-port networking model in which communication is established via outbound, identity-bound sessions to Rendezvous Nodes (RNs). By removing publicly reachable listening ports at endpoints, UZPIF changes exposure assumptions and can reduce unsolicited ingress and Internet-wide scanning pressure, but it does not by itself guarantee privacy, decentralisation, or availability. This document outlines architectural motivation, a high-level security model, operational and economic considerations, a Pantheon trust and policy plane baseline, and an incremental migration approach. It is part of an experimental, research-oriented Independent Stream suite and defines the current normative baseline for trust objects, validation rules, and security semantics within the suite framework. Hard interoperability is expected for shared object semantics and validation rules. Full wire-level, clustering, and proof-family interoperability is not claimed everywhere yet; the remaining details are intentionally profile-defined or deferred in companion drafts or profiles. UZPIF is intended to be read alongside companion work describing the Universal Zero-Port Transport Protocol (UZP; [UZP]) and TLS-DPA ([TLS-DPA]).