[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 48 (Monday, March 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12678-12679]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3521]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No. 051114299-5299-01]


Announcing Draft Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 
186-3, Digital Signature Standard (DSS), and Request for Comments

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; Request for Comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces Draft Federal Information Processing 
Standard 186-3, Digital Signature Standard, for public review and 
comment. The draft standard, designated ``Draft FIPS 186-3,'' is 
proposed to revise and supersede FIPS 186-2.
    FIPS 186, first published in 1994, specifies a digital signature 
algorithm (DSA) to generate and verify digital signatures. Later 
revisions (FIPS 186-1 and FIPS 186-2, adopted in 1998 and 1999, 
respectively) adopt two additional algorithms specified in American 
National Standards (ANS) X9.31 (Digital Signatures Using Reversible 
Public Key Cryptography for the Financial Services Industry (rDSA)), 
and X9.62 (The Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA)).
    The original DSA algorithm, as specified in FIPS 186, 186-1 and 
186-2, allows key sizes of 512 to 1024 bits. With advances in 
technology, it is prudent to consider larger key sizes. Draft FIPS 186-
3 allows the use of 1024, 2048 and 3072-bit keys. Other requirements 
have also been added concerning the use of ANS X9.31 and ANS X9.62. In 
addition, the use of the RSA algorithm as specified in Public Key 
Cryptography Standard (PKCS) 1 (RSA Cryptography Standard) is 
allowed.
    Prior to the submission of this proposed standard to the Secretary 
of Commerce for review and approval, it is essential that consideration 
is given to the needs and views of the public, users, the information 
technology industry, and Federal, State and local government 
organizations. The purpose of this notice is to solicit such views.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 12, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent to: Chief, Computer Security 
Division, Information Technology Laboratory, Attention: Comments on 
Draft FIPS 186-3, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8930, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930.
    Electronic comments may also be sent to: [email protected].
    The current FIPS 186-2 and its proposed replacement, Draft FIPS 
186-3, are available electronically at http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/index.html and http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/drafts.html, respectively. Comments received in response to this notice 
will be published electronically at http://csrc.nist.gov/CryptoToolkit/tkdigsigs.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elaine Barker, Computer Security 
Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, 
MD 20899-8930, telephone (301) 975-2911.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  FIPS 186, Digital Signature Standard (DSS), 
first issued in 1994, specified a single technique for the generation 
and verification of digital signatures. FIPS 186-1 adopted a second 
technique that was approved as ANS X9.31, Digital Signatures Using 
Reversible Public Key Cryptography for the Financial Services Industry 
(rDSA), by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). FIPS 186-2 
adopted a third technique that computed digital signatures using 
elliptic curve technology as specified in another ANSI standard, ANS 
X9.62, Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA).
    Digital signature algorithms require keys to generate secure 
signatures. With advances in technology, the size of these keys must be 
increased to provide adequate security. rDSA and ECDSA have been 
specified with sufficient flexibility to use various key sizes. DSA was 
specified for key sizes between 512 and 1024 bits. Key sizes below 1024 
bits are currently not considered adequate. Therefore, the requirements 
for key sizes for DSA, as specified in FIPS 186-3, have been revised to 
include key sizes of 2048 and 3072 bits, in addition to the previously 
allowed 1024-bit key size. These key sizes provide security that is 
equivalent to the 80, 112 and 128-bit key sizes of symmetric key 
encryption algorithms such as TDEA (Triple Data Encryption Algorithm), 
as specified in NIST Special Publication 800-67, and AES (Advanced 
Encryption Standard), as specified in FIPS 197.
    ANS X9.31, published in 1998, specifies the generation of keys and 
digital signatures for only an 80-bit security level. Draft FIPS 186-3 
specifies criteria for the generation of keys and digital signatures 
for additional security levels.
    Many cryptographic applications use the RSA algorithm that was 
specified in PKCS 1 and that was developed by RSA Security. 
PKCS 1 is considered to provide adequate security for Federal 
Government applications. Therefore, in the interests of providing 
interoperability, Draft FIPS 186-3 allows implementations of PKCS 
1 in addition to that of ANS X9.31 and specifies criteria for 
the generation of keys for PKCS 1 digital signature 
applications; no provision is currently provided in PKCS 1 for 
the generation of digital signature keys.
    ANS X9.62 was published in 1998 and is currently under revision. 
Other requirements have been added in Draft FIPS 186-3 to address 
deficiencies present in the current ANS X9.62; these additional 
requirements are consistent with the proposed ANS X9.62 revision.
    FIPS 186-2 included several methods for random number generation 
for the 80-bit security level. Draft FIPS 186-3 includes a new random 
number generator that can be used to provide random numbers at multiple 
security levels. This random number generator is based on the Approved 
hash functions specified in FIPS 180-2, Secure Hash Standard.
    Draft FIPS186-3 includes methods for the generation of domain 
parameters and digital signature keys. These methods are referenced by 
NIST Special Publication 800-56, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key 
Establishment Schemes Using Discrete Logarithm Cryptography, for the 
generation of domain parameters and keys for key establishment.
    Draft FIPS 186-3 requires that parties have various assurances when 
generating and verifying digital signatures. Methods for obtaining 
these assurances will be specified in a future publication to be issued 
in the NIST Special Publication (SP) series, SP 800-89, Recommendation 
for Obtaining Assurances for Digital Signature Applications.

    Authority: NIST's activities to develop computer security 
standards to protect Federal sensitive (unclassified) systems are 
undertaken pursuant to specific responsibilities assigned to NIST in 
Section 5131 of the Information Technology Management Reform Act of 
1996 (Pub .L. 104-106) and the Federal Information Security 
Management Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-347).

    E.O. 12866: This notice has been determined not to be significant 
for the purposes of E.O. 12866.


[[Page 12679]]


    Dated: March 4, 2006.
William Jeffrey,
Director.
[FR Doc. E6-3521 Filed 3-10-06; 8:45 am]
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