NARA Bulletin 2005-04

March 28, 2005

TO: Heads of Federal agencies

SUBJECT: Availability of electronic records management guidance for PKI 

digital signature authenticated and secured transaction records

EXPIRATION DATE: March 31, 2008 (per NARA Bulletin 2007-01)

1. What is the purpose of this bulletin? 

This bulletin announces the availability of "Records Management Guidance 

for PKI Digital Signature Authenticated and Secured Transaction Records," 

which was jointly developed by the National Archives and Records 

Administration (NARA) and the Federal Public Key Infrastructure Steering 

Committee's (FPKI SC) Legal/Policy Working Group in response to a Chief 

Information Officer (CIO) Council request. The guidance is available on the 

NARA web site at http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/policy/pki.html and 

at the CIO Council web site at http://www.cio.gov/fpkisc. Paper copies will be 

provided upon request.

2. What is the background to this guidance?

 a. NARA had previously developed "Records Management Guidance for 

Agencies Implementing Electronic Signature Technologies," in response to 

the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) (see 

http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/

policy/electronic-signature-echnology.html). This guidance described 

recordkeeping requirements for electronic signature-related records.

 b. In response to a request from the CIO Council for further assistance 

beyond that guidance, NARA had also previously developed "Records 

Management Guidance for PKI-Unique Administrative Records" (see 

http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/policy/pki-guidance.html). This 

guidance describes PKI-unique administrative records which document 

functions unique to planning, implementing, operating, auditing, monitoring, 

and re-organizing/terminating a PKI.

 c. In response to a request from the CIO Council for further assistance 

beyond that guidance, NARA and the FPKI SC conducted focus groups with 

Federal agency personnel to determine the exact scope, specific to PKIunique transaction records, that would be most useful to records, legal, and 

technology personnel.

 d. PKI-unique transaction embedded records related specifically to each 

transaction and that are embedded or referenced within the transaction (e.g., 

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the digital signature, generally the public key certificate and possibly 

transaction-specific PKI records used for authentication or non-repudiation, 

such as certificate validation responses).

 e. This guidance delineates potential categories of such records that 

agencies may want to schedule, based on a variety of best practice sources. 

It has been reviewed and approved by NARA, Office of Management and 

Budget, Department of Justice, the CIO Council, and the FPKI SC.

3. How is NARA disseminating this guidance to Federal agencies?

In addition to this bulletin, NARA will distribute copies of the guidance to 

agency records officers and chief information officers. 

4. How long is the PKI records management guidance for transaction 

records valid?

The guidance announced by this bulletin is effective indefinitely. Any 

changes to the guidance will be issued in a future bulletin.

5. Is further information available?

For further records management information and assistance, Federal 

agencies may contact the Office of Records Services-Washington, DC, 

Modern Records Programs at 301-837-1738, or the Office of Regional 

Records Services at 301-837-2950.

ALLEN WEINSTEIN

Archivist of the United States

Attachment

Contact Us Accessibility Privacy Policy Freedom of Information Act No FEAR Act USA.gov

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272 

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