Approval of Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 186, Digital Signature Standard (DSS)

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No. 940535-4135]

RIN 0693-AA86

Approval of Federal Information Processing Standards Publication

186, Digital Signature Standard (DSS)

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

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of approval of Federal Information Processing Standard

186, Digital Signature Standard.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Secretary of Commerce has

approved the Digital Signature Standard (DSS) as Federal Information

Processing Standard (FIPS) 186. The DSS provides the capability to

generate digital signatures that cannot be forged. This capability is

needed by Federal government agencies to carry out their

responsibilities for electronic exchanges and to improve government

operations through the use of information technology.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This standard is effective December 1, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may purchase copies of this standard,

including the technical specifications section, from the National

Technical Information Service (NTIS). Specific ordering information

from NTIS for this standard is set out in the ``Where to Obtain

Copies'' Section of the announcement section of the standard.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Miles Smid, National Institute of Standards and Technology,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899, telephone (301) 975-2938.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 30, 1991, NIST published in the

Federal Register (56 FR 42980) a notice which announced the proposed

FIPS for DSS. On December 2, 1991, the comment period for the proposed

FIPS for DSS was extended by notice published in the Federal Register

(56 FR 61231).

NIST received comments from 109 organizations and individuals in

response to the Federal Register notice and to information sent to

Federal agencies on the proposed FIPS for DSS. Many of the comments

supported the proposed DSS and stated requirements for a digital

signature capability for use in electronic data applications. Other

comments in support of the DSS backed NIST's goal of a digital

signature standard that is free of patent impediments and that provides

for interoperability and a uniform level of security.

NIST also received many comments criticizing the adoption of the

proposed DSS. Some of the arguments in opposition included: The

selection process for the Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) was not

public; time provided for analysis of the DSA was not sufficient; the

DSA may infringe on other patents; the DSA does not provide for secret

key distribution; the DSA is incomplete because no hash algorithm is

specified; the DSA is not compatible with international standards; the

DSA is not secure; the DSA is not efficient.

NIST considered all of the issues raised and believes that is has

addressed them. The development of this standard was carried out

through NIST's usual procedures including solicitation of input from

different sources. To provide more time for analysis of the DSA, NIST

extended the original three month review and comment period for an

additional three months. NIST has addressed the possible patent

infringement claims, and has concluded that there are no valid claims.

The DSA does not provide for secret key distribution since it is

not intended for that purpose. Since the proposed DSS was announced, a

Secure Hash Standard was proposed and approved as FIPS 180. With

respect to the compatibility of the DSS with international standards,

NIST has proposed that the DSA be an alternative signature standard

within the appropriate international standard (IS 9796). Concerning the

security of the DSA, no cryptographic shortcut attacks on the DSA have

been discovered. However, NIST has revised the proposed standard to

provide a larger modulus size. This modification will accommodate

requirements for long term security of digital signatures. NIST

believes that the efficiency of the DSA is adequate for most

applications.

Given the complexity of the public comments, NIST proceeded

deliberatively in its consideration of the August 1991 proposal. The

written comments submitted by interested parties and other available

material were carefully reviewed and considered in the determination to

finalize the proposed FIPS for DSS. On the basis of this review, NIST

recommended that the Secretary approve the standard as a Federal

Information Processing Standards Publication, and prepared a detailed

justification document for the Secretary's review in support of that

recommendation. The detailed justification document which was presented

to the Secretary is part of the public record and is available for

inspection and copying in the Department's Central Reference and

Records Inspection Facility, room 6020, Herbert C. Hoover Building,

14th Street between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues, NW.,

Washington, DC 20230.

This FIPS contains two sections: (1) An announcement section, which

provides information concerning the applicability, implementation, and

maintenance of the standard; and (2) a specifications section which

deals with the technical requirements of the standard. Only the

announcement section is provided in this notice.

Dated: May 13, 1994.

Samuel Kramer,

Associate Director.

Processing Standards Publication 186

Announcing the Digital Signature Standard (DSS)

Federal Information Processing Standards Publications (FIPS PUBS)

are issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

after approval by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to Section 111(d)

of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 as

amended by the Computer Security Act of 1987, Public law 100-235.

Name of Standard: Digital Signature Standard (DSS).

Category of Standard: Computer Security; Cryptography.

Explanation: This Standard specifies a Digital Signature Algorithm

(DSA) appropriate for applications requiring a digital rather than

written signature. The DSA digital signature is a pair of large numbers

represented in a computer as strings of binary digits. The digital

signature is computed using a set of rules (i.e., the DSA) and a set of

parameters such that the identity of the signatory and integrity of the

data can be verified. The DSA provides the capability to generate and

verify signatures. Signature generation makes use of a private key to

generate a digital signature. Signature verification makes use of a

public key which corresponds to, but is not the same as, the private

key. Each user possesses a private and public key pair. Public keys are

assumed to be known to the public in general. Private keys are never

shared. Anyone can verify the signature of a user by employing that

user's public key. Signature generation can be performed only by the

possessor of the user's private key.

A hash function is used in the signature generation process to

obtain a condensed version of data, called a message digest (see Figure

1). The message digest is then input to the DSA to generate the digital

signature. The digital signature is sent to the intended verifier along

with the signed data (often called the message). The verifier of the

message and signature verifies the signature by using the sender's

public key. The same hash function must also be used in the

verification process. The hash function is specified in a separate

standard, the Secure Hash Standard (SHS), FIPS 180. Similar procedures

may be used to generate and verify signatures for stored as well as

transmitted data.

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Approving Authority: Secretary of Commerce.

Maintenance Agency: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute

of Standards and Technology (NIST), Computer Systems Laboratory (CSL).

Applicability: This standard is applicable to all Federal

departments and agencies for the protection of unclassified information

that is not subject to section 2315 of Title 10, United States Code, or

section 3502(2) of Title 44, United States Code. This standard shall be

used in designing and implementing public-key based signature systems

which Federal departments and agencies operate or which are operated

for them under contract. Adoption and use of this standard is available

to private and commercial organizations.

Applications: The DSA authenticates the integrity of the signed

data and the identity of the signatory. The DSA may also be used in

proving to a third party that data was actually signed by the generator

of the signature. The DSA is intended for use in electronic mail,

electronic funds transfer, electronic data interchange, software

distribution, data storage, and other applications which require data

integrity assurance and data origin authentication.

Implementations: The DSA may be implemented in software, firmware,

hardware, or any combination thereof. NIST is developing a validation

program to test implementations for conformance to this standard.

Information about the planned validation program can be obtained from

the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Computer Systems

Laboratory, Attn: DSS Validation, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

Export Control: Implementations of this standard are subject to

Federal Government export controls as specified in Title 15, Code of

Federal Regulations, Parts 768 through 799. Exporters are advised to

contact the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Export Administration for

more information.

Patents: The Department of Commerce is not aware of any patents

that would be infringed by this standard.

Implemented Schedule: This standard becomes effective December 1,

1994.

Specifications: Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS186)

Digital Signature Standard (DSS), (affixed).

Cross Index

a. Federal Information Resources Management Regulations (FIRMR)

subpart 201.20.303, Standards, and subpart 201.39.1002, Federal

Standards.

b. FIPS PUB 46-2, Data Encryption Standard.

c. FIPS PUB 73, Guidelines for Security of Computer Applications.

d. FIPS PUB 140-1, Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules.

e. FIPS PUB 171, Key Management Using ANSI X9.17.

f. FIPS PUB 180, Secure Hash Standard.

Qualifications: The security of a digital signature system is

dependent on maintaining the secrecy of users' private keys. Users must

therefore guard against the unauthorized acquisition of their private

keys. While it is the intent of this standard to specify general

security requirements for generating digital signatures, conformance to

this standard does not assure that a particular implementation is

secure. The responsible authority in each agency or department shall

assure that an overall implementation provides an acceptable level of

security. This standard will be reviewed every five years in order to

assess its adequacy.

Waiver Procedure: Under certain exceptional circumstances, the

heads of Federal departments and agencies may approve waivers to

Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). The head of such

agency may redelegate such authority only to a senior official

designated pursuant to section 3506(b) of Title 44, United States Code.

Waiver shall be granted only when:

a. Compliance with a standard would adversely affect the

accomplishment of the mission of an operator of a Federal computer

system; or

b. Compliance with a standard would cause a major adverse financial

impact on the operator which is not offset by Government-wide savings.

Agency heads may act upon a written waiver request containing the

information detailed above. Agency heads may also act without a written

waiver request when they determine that conditions for meeting the

standard cannot be met. Agency heads may approve waivers only by a

written decision which explains the basis on which the agency head made

with required finding(s). A copy of each decision, with procurement

sensitive or classified portions clearly identified, shall be sent to:

National Institute of Standards and Technology; ATTN: FIPS Waiver

Decisions, Technology Building, room B-154, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

In addition, notice of each waiver granted and each delegation of

authority to approve waivers shall be sent promptly to the Committee on

Government Operations of the House of Representatives and the Committee

on Government Affairs of the Senate and shall be published promptly in

the Federal Register.

When the determination on a waiver applies to the procurement of

equipment and/or services, a notice of the waiver determination must be

published in the Commerce Business Daily as a part of the notice of

solicitation for offers of an acquisition or, if the waiver

determination is made after that notice is published, by amendment to

such notice.

A copy of the waiver, any supporting documents, the document

approving the waiver and any accompanying documents, with such

deletions as the agency is authorized and decides to make under 5

U.S.C. 552(b), shall be part of the procurement documentation and

retained by the agency.

Where to Obtain Copies of the Standard: Copies of this publication

are for sale by the National Technical Information Service, U.S.

Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. When ordering, refer to

Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 186 (FIPSPUB186),

and identify the title. When microfiche is desired, this should be

specified. Prices are published by NTIS in current catalogs and other

issuances. Payment may be made by check, money order, deposit account

or charged to a credit card accepted by NTIS.

[FR Doc. 94-12218 Filed 5-18-94; 8:45 am]

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