[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16658-16659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-7497]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


Public Meeting Announcing a Workshop for the Analysis of Modes of 
Operation for Symmetric Key Block Cipher Algorithms

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public workshop.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
announces a workshop on modes of operation for securing data using 
symmetric key block cipher algorithms, such as the algorithm specified 
in the draft Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Interested parties may 
suggest ideas or submit papers for discussion at the workshop, 
including proposals of modes of operation, to the address below.

DATES: The Second Modes of Operation Workshop will be held on August 
24, 2001, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Holiday Inn Santa Barbara, 
5650 Calle Real, Goleta, California. Details regarding workshop 
registration will be available at the modes home page: http://csrc.nist.gov/encryption/aes/modes/. Suggestions, questions, comments 
or submissions should be sent to Modes of Operation Workshop, Attn: 
Elaine Barker, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8930, Gaithersburg, MD 
20899-8930, or to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, contact 
[email protected] or one of the following: Elaine Barker, NIST, 
100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8930, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930; telephone 
301-975-2911; fax 301-948-1233 or via e-mail at [email protected]; 
or Morris Dworkin 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8930, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-
8930; telephone 301-975-2354; fax 301-948-1233; or via e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Block ciphers can be used as building blocks 
for encryption modes and for other modes for securing data. For 
example, block ciphers can be used in the construction of message 
authentication codes, hash algorithms, and random bit generators. With 
the advent of new block ciphers, such as the AES, there is an 
opportunity to update such modes of operation for current and future 
applications and technology.
    The purpose of this Federal Register notice is to announce a 
workshop on modes of operation for securing data using symmetric key 
block cipher algorithms, such as the algorithm specified in the draft 
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Prior to the workshop, suggestions 
and submissions from the public to aid NIST in planning an appropriate 
workshop and facilitate the comparison and analysis of block cipher 
modes of operation are welcome. The workshop will aid NIST in 
developing a standard or guideline that is secure and responsive to the 
needs of government, industry, and the public. NIST will consider for 
discussion at the workshop, at a minimum, the modes that were proposed 
at the October 20, 2000 public workshop on this topic. These are 
available at the modes home page, and NIST encourages public analysis 
of these modes.
    The workshop may also consider other existing modes or their 
generalizations, or other modes that are proposed in comments and 
papers. It will be helpful to receive analysis and proposals for 
variations of counter mode, arising from alternative methods for 
prescribing the generation of counters. All suggestions received will 
be publicly available at the modes home page.
    In order to encourage a common framework for comparison, a workshop 
approach to evaluate and analysis is available on the modes home page. 
NIST believes that participants in the upcoming workshop would be 
interested in comments that include statements regarding the 
intellectual property and/or licensing requirements of any proposed 
modes. Test vectors will also be useful, to provide analyzers of the 
modes a means to check the validity of their implementations. Fuller 
descriptions are available at the modes web site.
    The results of the workshop will aid NIST's efforts to develop a 
complete ``suite'' of modes of operation from which individual modes 
can be selected to fit the needs of a wide range of applications and 
environments. The recommended modes are expected to support the 
eventual Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and other block ciphers.
    Submissions for discussion at the workshop should be made early 
enough to provide time to prepare the meeting agenda. Papers proposing 
new modes of operation are requested as soon as possible, to provide 
time for the analysis of the new proposals.

    Authority: NIST's activities to develop computer security 
standards to protect sensitive (unclassified) systems are undertaken 
pursuant to specific responsibilities assigned to NIST in section

[[Page 16659]]

5131 of the Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 
(P.L. 104-106), the Computer Security Act of 1987 (Pub. L. 100-235), 
and Appendix III to Office of Business Management Circular A-130.

    Dated: March 19, 2001.
Karen Brown,
Acting Director, NIST.
[FR Doc. 01-7497 Filed 3-26-01; 8:45 am]
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