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NIST Special Publication 800-78-1

Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for Personal Identity

Verification

August 2007

February 2010

SP 800-78-1 is superseded in its entirety by the publication of

SP 800-78-2 (February 2010).

NIST Special Publication 800-78-2

Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for Personal Identity

Verification

W. Timothy Polk, Donna F. Dodson, William E. Burr

February 2010

http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-78-2

Computer Security Division (Information Technology Lab)

SP 800-78-4 (as of August 7, 2015)

http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SNS/piv/

N/A
 

.

NIST Special Publication 800-78-1

Verification

Cryptographic Algorithms and 

Key Sizes for Personal Identity 

August 2007

I N F O R M A T I O N S E C U R I T Y

W. Timothy Polk

Donna F. Dodson

William E. Burr

Computer Security Division

Information Technology Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD, 20899-8930

U.S. Department of Commerce

Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary

National Institute of Standards and Technology

William Jeffrey, Director 

NIST Special Publication 800-78-1

Verification

Cryptographic Algorithms and 

Key Sizes for Personal Identity 

August 2007

I N F O R M A T I O N S E C U R I T Y

W. Timothy Polk

Donna F. Dodson

William E. Burr

Computer Security Division

Information Technology Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD, 20899-8930

NIST Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and 

Key Sizes for Personal Identity 

Verification

August 2007

W. Timothy Polk

Donna F. Dodson

William E. Burr

I N F O R M A T I O N S E C U R I T Y

Computer Security Division

Information Technology Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD, 20899-8930

U.S. Department of Commerce

Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary

National Institute of Standards and Technology

William Jeffrey, Director 
Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

Reports on Computer Systems Technology 

The Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) at the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology (NIST) promotes the U.S. economy and public welfare by providing technical 

leadership for the Nation’s measurement and standards infrastructure. ITL develops tests, test 

methods, reference data, proof of concept implementations, and technical analyses to advance 

the development and productive use of information technology. ITL’s responsibilities include 

the development of management, administrative, technical, and physical standards and 

guidelines for the cost-effective security and privacy of non-national security-related information 

in Federal information systems. This special publication 800-series reports on ITL’s research, 

guidelines, and outreach efforts in information system security, and its collaborative activities 

with industry, government, and academic organizations. 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

Table of Contents 

1. INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................................................1

1.1 AUTHORITY.................................................................................................................................................1

1.2 PURPOSE......................................................................................................................................................1

1.3 SCOPE..........................................................................................................................................................1

1.4 EFFECTIVE DATE.........................................................................................................................................2

1.5 AUDIENCE AND ASSUMPTIONS ....................................................................................................................2

1.6 DOCUMENT OVERVIEW ...............................................................................................................................2

2. APPLICATION OF CRYPTOGRAPHY IN FIPS 201 ..................................................................................3

3. ON CARD CRYPTOGRAPHIC REQUIREMENTS.....................................................................................5

3.1 PIV CRYPTOGRAPHIC KEYS ........................................................................................................................5

3.2 AUTHENTICATION INFORMATION STORED ON THE PIV CARD.....................................................................7

3.2.1 Specification of Digital Signatures on Authentication Information.......................................................7

3.2.2 Specification of Public Keys In X.509 Certificates................................................................................8

3.2.3 Specification of Message Digests in the SP 800-73 Security Object .....................................................9

4. CERTIFICATE STATUS INFORMATION.................................................................................................10

5. PIV CARD MANAGEMENT KEYS .............................................................................................................11

6. IDENTIFIERS FOR PIV CARD INTERFACES .........................................................................................12

6.1 KEY REFERENCE VALUES .........................................................................................................................12

6.2 PIV CARD ALGORITHM IDENTIFIERS.........................................................................................................12

6.3 ALGORITHM IDENTIFIERS FOR PIV KEY TYPES .........................................................................................14

APPENDIX A— ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................15

APPENDIX B— REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................16

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

List of Tables 

Table 3-1. Algorithm and Key Size Requirements for PIV Key Types ........................................ 6 

Table 3-2. RSA Public Key Exponents.......................................................................................... 6 

Table 3-3. Signature Algorithm and Key Size Requirements for PIV Information ...................... 7 

Table 3-4. FIPS 201 Signature Algorithm Object Identifiers........................................................ 8 

Table 3-5. Public Key Object Identifiers for PIV Key Types........................................................ 8 

Table 3-6. ECC Parameter Object Identifiers for Approved Curves............................................. 9 

Table 3-7. Hash Algorithm Object Identifiers............................................................................... 9 

Table 5-1. Algorithm and Key Size Requirements for Card Management Keys ........................ 11 

Table 6-1. Key References for PIV Key Types........................................................................... 12 

Table 6-2. Identifiers for Supported Cryptographic Algorithms................................................. 13 

Table 6-3. PIV Card Keys: Key References and Algorithms ...................................................... 14 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

1. Introduction

The Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 mandated the creation of new 

standards for interoperable identity credentials for physical and logical access to Federal 

government locations and systems. Federal Information Processing Standard 201 (FIPS 201), 

Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors, was developed to 

establish standards for identity credentials [FIPS201]. This document, Special Publication 800-

78-1, specifies the cryptographic algorithms and key sizes for PIV systems and is a companion 

document to FIPS 201. 

1.1 Authority 

This document has been developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology 

(NIST) in furtherance of its statutory responsibilities under the Federal Information Security 

Management Act (FISMA) of 2002, Public Law 107-347. 

NIST is responsible for developing standards and guidelines, including minimum requirements, 

for providing adequate information security for all agency operations and assets, but such 

standards and guidelines shall not apply to national security systems. This recommendation is 

consistent with the requirements of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A130, Section 8b(3), Securing Agency Information Systems, as analyzed in A-130, Appendix IV: 

Analysis of Key Sections. Supplemental information is provided A-130, Appendix III. 

This recommendation has been prepared for use by Federal agencies. It may be used by nongovernmental organizations on a voluntary basis and is not subject to copyright. Nothing in this 

document should be taken to contradict standards and guidelines made mandatory and binding 

on Federal agencies by the Secretary of Commerce under statutory authority. Nor should this 

recommendation be interpreted as altering or superseding the existing authorities of the Secretary 

of Commerce, Director of OMB, or any other Federal official. 

1.2 Purpose 

FIPS 201 defines requirements for the PIV lifecycle activities including identity proofing, 

registration, PIV Card issuance, and PIV Card usage. FIPS 201 also defines the structure of an 

identity credential that includes cryptographic keys. This document contains the technical 

specifications needed for the mandatory and optional cryptographic keys specified in FIPS 201 

as well as the supporting infrastructure specified in FIPS 201 and the related Special Publications 

800-73, Interfaces for Personal Identity Verification [SP800-73], and SP 800-76, Biometric Data 

Specification for Personal Identity Verification [SP800-76], that rely on cryptographic functions. 

1.3 Scope 

The scope of this recommendation encompasses the PIV Card, infrastructure components that 

support issuance and management of the PIV Card, and applications that rely on the credentials 

supported by the PIV Card to provide security services. The recommendation identifies 

acceptable symmetric and asymmetric encryption algorithms, digital signature algorithms, and 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

message digest algorithms, and specifies mechanisms to identify the algorithms associated with 

PIV keys or digital signatures. 

Algorithms and key sizes have been selected for consistency with applicable Federal standards 

and to ensure adequate cryptographic strength for PIV applications. All cryptographic 

algorithms employed in this specification provide at least 80 bits of security strength. For 

detailed guidance on the strength of cryptographic algorithms, see [SP800-57(1)], 

Recommendation on Key Management – Part 1: General. 

1.4 Effective Date 

Federal departments and agencies may implement these recommendations, rather than the 

previous version, immediately upon publication. Federal departments and agencies must 

implement these recommendations beginning January 1, 2008. 

1.5 Audience and Assumptions 

This document is targeted at Federal agencies and implementers of PIV systems. Readers are 

assumed to have a working knowledge of cryptography and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) 

technology. 

1.6 Document Overview 

The document is organized as follows: 

+ Section 1, Introduction, provides the purpose, scope, effective date, audience, and 

assumptions of the document and outlines its structure. 

+ Section 2, Application of Cryptography in FIPS 201, identifies the cryptographic 

mechanisms and objects that employ cryptography as specified in FIPS 201 and its 

supporting documents. 

+ Section 3, On Card Cryptographic Requirements, describes the cryptographic 

requirements for cryptographic keys and authentication information stored on the PIV 

Card. 

+ Section 4, Certificate Status Information, describes the cryptographic requirements for 

status information generated by PKI Certification Authorities (CAs) and Online 

Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) responders. 

+ Section 5, PIV Card Management Keys, describes the cryptographic requirements for 

management of information stored on the PIV Card. 

+ Section 6, Identifiers for PIV Card Interfaces, specifies key reference values and 

algorithm identifiers for the application programming interface and card commands 

defined in [SP 800-73]. 

+ Appendix A, Acronyms, contains the list of acronyms used in this document. 

+ Appendix B, References, contains the list of documents used as references by this 

document. 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

2. Application of Cryptography in FIPS 201 

FIPS 201 employs cryptographic mechanisms to authenticate cardholders, secure information 

stored on the PIV Card, and secure the supporting infrastructure. 

FIPS 201 and its supporting documents specify a suite of keys to be stored on the PIV Card for 

personal identity verification, digital signature generation, and key management. The PIV 

cryptographic keys specified in FIPS 201 are: 

+ The asymmetric PIV authentication key; 

+ A card authentication key, which may be symmetric or asymmetric; 

+ An asymmetric digital signature key for signing documents and messages; and 

+ An asymmetric key management key, supporting key establishment or key transport. 

The cryptographic algorithms, key sizes, and parameters that may be used for these keys are 

specified in Section 3.1. PIV Cards must implement private key computations for one or more 

of the algorithms identified in this section. 

Cryptographically protected objects specified in FIPS 201, SP 800-73, and SP 800-76 include: 

+ The X.509 certificates for each asymmetric key on the PIV Card; 

+ A digitally signed Cardholder Unique Identifier (CHUID); 

+ Digitally signed biometrics using the Common Biometric Exchange Formats Framework 

(CBEFF) signature block; and 

+ The SP 800-73 Security Object, which is a digitally signed hash table. 

The cryptographic algorithms, key sizes, and parameters that may be used to protect these 

objects are specified in Section 3.2. Certification Authorities (CAs) and card management 

systems that protect these objects must support one or more of the cryptographic algorithms, key 

sizes, and parameters specified in Section 3.2. 

Applications may be designed to use any or all of the cryptographic keys and objects stored on 

the PIV Card. Where maximum interoperability is required, applications should support all of 

the identified algorithms, key sizes, and parameters specified in Sections 3.1 and 3.2. 

FIPS 201 requires CAs and Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) responders to generate 

and distribute digitally signed Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs) and OCSP status messages. 

These revocation mechanisms support validation of the PIV Card, the PIV cardholder, the 

cardholder’s digital signature key, and the cardholder’s key management key. 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

The signed revocation mechanisms specified in FIPS 201 are: 

+ X.509 CRLs that specify the status of a group of X.509 certificates; and 

+ OCSP status response messages that specify the status of a particular X.509 certificate. 

The cryptographic algorithms and key sizes, and parameters that may be used to sign these 

mechanisms are specified in Section 4. Section 4 also describes rules for encoding the signatures 

to ensure interoperability. 

FIPS 201 permits optional card management operations. These operations may only be 

performed after the PIV Card authenticates the card management system. Card management 

systems are authenticated through the use of card management keys. The cryptographic 

algorithms and key sizes that may be used for these keys are specified in Section 5. 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

3. On Card Cryptographic Requirements 

FIPS 201 identifies a suite of objects that are stored on the PIV Card for use in authentication 

mechanisms or in other security protocols. These objects may be divided into three classes: 

cryptographic keys, signed authentication information stored on the PIV Card, and message 

digests of information stored on the PIV Card. Cryptographic requirements for PIV keys are 

detailed in Section 3.1. Cryptographic requirements for other stored objects are detailed in 

Section 3.2. 

3.1 PIV Cryptographic Keys 

FIPS 201 specifies four different classes of cryptographic keys to be used as credentials by the 

PIV cardholder: 

+ The mandatory PIV authentication key; 

+ An optional card authentication key; 

+ An optional digital signature key; and 

+ An optional key management key. 

Table 3-1 establishes specific requirements for cryptographic algorithms and key sizes for each 

key type. Table 3-1 also specifies time periods with different sets of acceptable algorithms for 

each key type. Note that 1024 bit RSA is permitted to leverage current products and promote 

efficient adoption of FIPS 201, but must be phased out by 12/31/2013 for authentication keys 

and 12/31/2008 for digital signature and key management keys. Two key Triple-DES (2TDEA) 

authentication keys must be phased out by 12/31/2010. These requirements anticipate that 

digital signature and key management keys will be used to protect data for longer periods of 

time, while data enciphered solely for authentication is usually a random challenge (rather than 

sensitive information) and is generally not retained. 

In addition to the key sizes, keys must be generated using secure parameters. Rivest, Shamir, 

Adleman (RSA) keys must be generated using appropriate exponents, as specified in Table 3-2. 

Elliptic curve keys must correspond to one of the following recommended curves from 

[FIPS186-3]: 

+ Curve P-256; or

+ Curve P-384. 

To promote interoperability, this specification further limits PIV Authentication and Card 

Authentication elliptic curve keys to a single curve (P-256). PIV cryptographic keys for digital 

signatures and key management may use P-256 or P-384 based on application requirements. 

There is no phase out date specified for either curve. 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

Table 3-1. Algorithm and Key Size Requirements for PIV Key Types 

PIV Key Type Time Period for Use Algorithms and Key Sizes 

Through 12/31/2013 RSA (1024 or 2048 bits) 

ECDSA (Curve P-256) 

PIV Authentication key 

After 12/31/2013 RSA (2048 bits) 

ECDSA (Curve P-256) 

Through 12/31/2010 2TDEA 

3TDEA 

AES-128, AES-192, or AES-256 

RSA (1024 or 2048 bits) 

ECDSA (Curve P-256) 

1/1/2011 through 

12/31/2013 

3TDEA 

AES-128, AES-192, or AES-256 

RSA (1024 or 2048 bits) 

ECDSA (Curve P-256) 

Card Authentication key 

After 12/31/2013 3TDEA 

AES-128, AES-192, or AES-256 

RSA (2048 bits) 

ECDSA (Curve P-256) 

Through 12/31/2008 RSA (1024 or 2048 bits) 

ECDSA (Curves P-256 or P-384) 

Digital Signature key 

After 12/31/2008 RSA (2048 bits) 

ECDSA (Curves P-256 or P-384) 

Through 12/31/2008 RSA key transport (1024 or 2048 bits) 

ECDH or ECC MQV (Curves P-256 or P-384) 

Key Management key 

After 12/31/2008 RSA key transport (2048 bits); 

ECDH or ECC MQV (Curves P-256 or P-384) 

This specification also restricts the size of the RSA exponent that may be associated with PIV 

keys. Implementations of this specification must choose an exponent greater than or equal to 

65,537. Upper bounds for the exponent are based on key length; see Table 3-2 for complete 

details. 

Table 3-2. RSA Public Key Exponents 

RSA Modulus Size Minimum exponent Maximum exponent 

1024 65,537 (216 + 1) 2864 – 1 

2048 65,537 21824 – 1 

This specification requires that the key management key must be an RSA key transport key, an 

Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) key, or an elliptic curve Menezes-Qu-Vanstone (MQV) 

key. The specification for RSA key transport is [PKCS1]; the specification for ECDH and 

elliptic curve MQV is [SP800-56A]. 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

3.2 Authentication Information Stored on the PIV Card 

3.2.1 Specification of Digital Signatures on Authentication Information 

FIPS 201 requires the use of digital signatures to protect the integrity and authenticity of 

information stored on the card. FIPS 201 and SP 800-73 require digital signatures on the 

following objects stored on the PIV Card: 

+ X.509 public key certificates; 

+ The CHUID; 

+ Biometric information (e.g., fingerprints); and 

+ the SP 800-73 Security Object. 

Approved Digital Signature algorithms are specified in [FIPS 186-3]. Table 3-3 provides 

specific requirements for digitally signed information stored on the PIV Card. The first column 

specifies three time periods; the remaining columns specify public key algorithms and hash 

algorithms for generating digital signatures. For signatures on the CHUID, 800-73 Security 

Object, and stored biometrics, the hash algorithm that must be used to generate the signature is 

determined by the signature generation date. Agencies are cautioned that generating digital 

signatures with elliptic curve algorithms may initially limit interoperability. 

Table 3-3. Signature Algorithm and Key Size Requirements for PIV Information 

Signature 

Generation Date 

Public Key Algorithms 

and Key Sizes 

Hash Algorithms Padding Scheme 

RSA (2048, 3072, or 4096 bits) SHA-1 PKCS #1 v1.5 

RSA (2048, 3072, or 4096 bits) SHA-256 (expect limited 

interoperability) 

PKCS #1 v1.5 

ECDSA (Curve P-256) SHA-256 N/A 

Through 

12/31/2009 

ECDSA (Curve P-384) SHA-384 N/A 

SHA-1 PKCS #1 v1.5 

RSA (2048, 3072, or 4096 bits) SHA-256 PKCS #1 v1.5, PSS 

ECDSA (Curve P-256) SHA-256 N/A 

1/1/2010 through 

12/31/2010 

ECDSA (Curve P-384) SHA-384 N/A 

RSA (2048, 3072, or 4096 bits) SHA-256 PKCS #1 v1.5, PSS 

After 12/31/2010 ECDSA (Curve P-256) SHA-256 N/A 

ECDSA (Curve P-384) SHA-384 N/A 

Table 3-3 establishes a migration strategy for RSA signatures. To maximize interoperability, 

RSA signatures should use the PKCS #1 v1.5 padding scheme with SHA-1 through the end of 

2009. RSA signatures using the PKCS #1 v1.5 padding scheme with SHA-256 are permitted 

through the end of 2009, but agencies should expect limited interoperability. 2010 is a transition 

period where both SHA-1 and SHA-256 are recommended for generation of RSA signatures. 

Beginning in 2011, only SHA-256 may be used to generate RSA signatures on PIV objects. 

RSA signatures generated with SHA-256 may use either the PKCS #1 v.1.5 padding scheme or 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

the Probabilistic Signature Scheme (PSS) padding as defined in [PKCS1]. (This specification 

does not permit generation of RSA signatures with SHA-1 and PSS padding, since most current 

implementations of RSA use the padding scheme defined in PKCS #1 v.1.5). The PSS padding 

scheme OID is independent of the hash algorithm; the hash algorithm is specified as a parameter 

(for details, see [PKCS1]). Implementations of this specification must use the SHA-256 hash 

algorithm when generating RSA-PSS signatures. Agencies may wish to transition to the PSS 

padding scheme as they transition to SHA-256. 

FIPS 201, SP 800-73, and SP 800-76 specify formats for the CHUID, the Security Object, the 

biometric information, and X.509 public key certificates which rely on object identifiers (OID) 

to specify which signature algorithm was used to generate the digital signature. The object 

identifiers specified in Table 3-4, below, must be used in FIPS 201 implementations to identify 

the signature algorithm. 

Table 3-4. FIPS 201 Signature Algorithm Object Identifiers 

Signature Algorithm Object Identifier 

RSA with SHA-1 and 

PKCS v1.5 padding 

sha1WithRSAEncryption ::= {iso(1) member-body(2) us(840) rsadsi(113549) 

pkcs(1) pkcs-1(1) 5} 

RSA with SHA-256 and 

PKCS v1.5 padding 

sha256WithRSAEncryption ::= {iso(1) member-body(2) us(840) rsadsi(113549) 

pkcs(1) pkcs-1(1) 11} 

RSA with SHA-256 and 

PSS padding 

id-RSASSA-PSS ::= {iso(1) member-body(2) us(840) rsadsi(113549) pkcs(1) 

pkcs-1(1) 10} 

ECDSA with SHA-256 ecdsa-with-SHA256 ::= {iso(1) member-body(2) us(840) ansi-X9-62(10045) 

signatures(4) ecdsa-with-SHA2 (3) 2} 

ECDSA with SHA-384 ecdsa-with-SHA384 ::= {iso(1) member-body(2) us(840) ansi-X9-62(10045) 

signatures(4) ecdsa-with-SHA2 (3) 3} 

3.2.2 Specification of Public Keys In X.509 Certificates 

FIPS 201 requires generation and storage of an X.509 certificate to correspond with each 

asymmetric private key contained on the PIV Card. X.509 certificates include object identifiers 

to specify the cryptographic algorithm associated with a public key. Table 3-5, below, specifies 

the object identifiers that may be used in certificates to indicate the algorithm for a subject public 

key. 

Table 3-5. Public Key Object Identifiers for PIV Key Types 

PIV Key Type Asymmetric 

Algorithm Object Identifier 

PIV Authentication key; RSA {iso(1) member-body(2) us(840) rsadsi(113549) pkcs(1) pkcs-1(1) 1} 

Card Authentication 

key; 

Digital Signature key 

ECDSA 

{iso(1) member-body(2) us(840) ansi-X9-62(10045) idpublicKeyType(2) 1} 

RSA {iso(1) member-body(2) us(840) rsadsi(113549) pkcs(1) pkcs-1(1) 1} 

Key Management key ECDH or 

ECC MQV 

{iso(1) member-body(2) us(840) ansi-X9-62(10045) idpublicKeyType(2) 1} 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

A single object identifier is specified in Table 3-5 for all elliptic curve keys. An additional 

object identifier must be supplied in a parameters field to indicate the elliptic curve associated 

with the key. Table 3-6, below, identifies the named curves and associated OIDs. (RSA 

exponents are encoded with the modulus in the certificate’s subject public key, so the OID is not 

affected.) 

Table 3-6. ECC Parameter Object Identifiers for Approved Curves 

Asymmetric 

Algorithm Object Identifier 

Curve P-256 ansip256r1 ::= { iso(1) member-body(2) us(840) ansi-X9-62(10045) curves(3) prime(1) 7 } 

Curve P-384 ansip384r1 ::= { iso(1) identified-organization(3) certicom(132) curve(0) 34 } 

3.2.3 Specification of Message Digests in the SP 800-73 Security Object 

SP 800-73 mandates inclusion of a Security Object consistent with the Authenticity/Integrity 

Code defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in [MRTD]. This object 

contains message digests of other digital information stored on the card and is digitally signed. 

This specification requires that the message digests of digital information be computed using the 

same hash algorithm used in the digital signature used to sign the Security Object. The set of 

acceptable algorithms depends upon the signature generation date, as specified in Table 3-3. The 

Security Object format identifies the hash algorithm used when computing the message digests 

by inclusion of an object identifier; the appropriate object identifiers are identified in Table 3-7. 

Table 3-7. Hash Algorithm Object Identifiers 

Hash Algorithm Algorithm OID 

SHA-1 id-sha1 ::= {iso(1) identified-organization(3) oiw(14) secsig(3) algorithms(2) 26} 

SHA-256 id-sha256 ::= {joint-iso-itu-t(2) country(16) us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3) 

nistalgorithm(4) hashalgs(2) 1} 

SHA-384 id-sha384 ::= {joint-iso-itu-t(2) country(16) us(840) organization(1) gov(101) csor(3) 

nistalgorithm(4) hashalgs(2) 2} 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

4. Certificate Status Information 

The FIPS 201 functional component PIV Card Issuance and Management Subsystem generates 

and distributes status information for PIV asymmetric keys. FIPS 201 mandates two formats for 

certificate status information: 

+ X.509 CRLs; and

+ OCSP status response messages. 

The CRLs and OCSP status responses are digitally signed to support authentication and integrity 

using a public key and hash algorithm at least as large as that used to sign the certificate. The 

CRL or OCSP message can also be signed with a larger public key or hash algorithm that 

satisfies the requirements for signing new PIV information, as specified in Table 3-3. 

 

CRLs and OCSP messages rely on object identifiers to specify which signature algorithm was 

used to generate the digital signature. The object identifiers specified in Table 3-4 must be used 

in CRLs and OCSP messages to identify the signature algorithm. 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

5. PIV Card Management Keys 

PIV Cards may support card activation by the card management system to support card 

personalization and post-issuance card update. PIV Cards that support card personalization and 

post-issuance updates perform a challenge response protocol using a symmetric cryptographic 

key (i.e., the PIV Card Management Key) to authenticate the card management system. After 

successful authentication, the card management system can modify information stored the PIV 

Card. Table 5-1 below, establishes specific requirements for cryptographic algorithms and key 

sizes for PIV Card Management keys according to the card expiration date. 

Table 5-1. Algorithm and Key Size Requirements for Card Management Keys 

Card Expiration Date Algorithm 

Through 12/31/2010 2TDEA 

3TDEA 

AES-128, AES-192, or AES-256 

After 12/31/2010 3TDEA 

AES-128, AES-192, or AES-256 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

6. Identifiers for PIV Card Interfaces 

SP 800-73 defines an application programming interface, the End-Point Client-Application 

Programming Interface, and a set of mandatory card commands, the End-Point PIV Card 

Application Card Command Interface. The command syntaxes for these interfaces identify PIV 

keys using one-byte key references; their associated algorithms are specified using one-byte 

algorithm identifiers. The same identifiers are used in both interfaces. 

Section 6.1, below, specifies the key reference values for each of the PIV key types. Section 6.2 

defines algorithm identifiers for each cryptographic algorithm supported by this specification. 

Section 6.3 identifies valid combinations of key reference values and algorithm identifiers based 

on the period of use. 

6.1 Key Reference Values 

A PIV Card key reference is a one-byte identifier that specifies a cryptographic key according to 

its PIV Key Type. Table 6-1 defines the key reference values used on the PIV interfaces. 

Table 6-1. Key References for PIV Key Types 

PIV Key Type Key Reference Value 

PIV Authentication Key ‘9A’ 

Card Management Key ‘9B’ 

Digital Signature Key ‘9C’ 

Key Management Key ‘9D’ 

Card Authentication Key ‘9E’ 

6.2 PIV Card Algorithm Identifiers 

A PIV Card algorithm identifier is a one-byte identifier that specifies a cryptographic algorithm 

and key size. For symmetric cryptographic operations, the algorithm identifier also specifies a 

mode of operation (i.e., CBC or ECB). Table 6-2 lists the algorithm identifiers for the 

cryptographic algorithms that may be recognized on the PIV interfaces. All other algorithm 

identifier values are reserved for future use. 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

Table 6-2. Identifiers for Supported Cryptographic Algorithms 

Algorithm 

Identifier Algorithm – Mode 

‘00’ 3 Key Triple DES – ECB 

‘01’ 2 Key Triple DES – ECB 

‘02’ 2 Key Triple DES – CBC 

‘03’ 3 Key Triple DES – ECB 

‘04’ 3 Key Triple DES – CBC 

'06' RSA 1024 bit modulus, 65,537 ≤

exponent ≤ 2864 - 1 

‘07’ RSA 2048 bit modulus, 65,537 ≤

exponent ≤ 21824 - 1 

‘08’ AES-128 – ECB 

‘09’ AES-128 – CBC 

‘0A’ AES-192 – ECB 

‘0B’ AES-192 – CBC 

‘0C’ AES-256 – ECB 

‘0D’ AES-256 – CBC 

‘11’ ECC: Curve P-256 

‘14’ ECC: Curve P-384 

Note that both the ‘00’ and ‘03’ algorithm identifiers correspond to 3 Key Triple DES – ECB. 

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6.3 Algorithm Identifiers for PIV Key Types 

Table 6-3 summarizes the set of algorithms supported for each key reference value based on the 

time period of use. 

Table 6-3. PIV Card Keys: Key References and Algorithms 

PIV Key Type Key Reference 

Value 

Time Period for Use Permitted Algorithm Identifiers 

Through 12/31/2013 ‘06’, ‘07’, ‘11’ PIV Authentication Key ‘9A’ 

After 12/31/2013 ‘07’, ‘11’ 

Through 12/31/2010 ‘00’, ‘01’, ‘02’, ‘03’, ‘04’,’08’, 09’, ‘0A’, ‘0B’, 

Card Management Key ‘0C’, ‘0D’ ‘9B’ 

After 12/31/2010 ‘00’, ‘03’, ‘04’,’08’, 09’, ‘0A’, ‘0B’, ‘0C’, ‘0D’ 

Through 12/31/2008 ‘06’, ‘07’, ‘11’, ‘14’ Digital Signature Key ‘9C’ 

After 12/31/2008 ‘07’, ‘11’, ‘14’ 

Through 12/31/2008 ‘06’, ‘07’, ‘11’, ‘14’ Key Management Key ‘9D’ 

After 12/31/2008 ‘07’, ‘11’, ‘14’ 

Through 12/31/2010 ‘00’, ‘01’, ‘02’, ‘03’, ‘04’, ‘06’, ‘07’,’08’, 09’, 

‘0A’, ‘0B’, ‘0C’, ‘0D’, ‘11’ 

1/1/2011 Through 

12/31/2013 

‘00’, ‘03’, ‘04’, ‘06’, ‘07’,’08’, 09’, ‘0A’, ‘0B’, 

‘0C’, ‘0D’, ‘11’ Card Authentication Key ‘9E’ 

After 12/31/2014 ‘00’, ‘03’, ‘04’, ‘07’,’08’, 09’, ‘0A’, ‘0B’, ‘0C’, 

‘0D’, ‘11’ 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

Appendix A—Acronyms 

The following abbreviations and acronyms are used in this standard: 

2TDEA Two key TDEA 

3TDEA Three key TDEA 

AES Advanced Encryption Standard specified in [FIPS197]. 

CA Certification Authority 

CBC Cipher Block Chaining 

CBEFF Common Biometric Exchange Formats Framework 

CHUID Cardholder Unique Identifier 

CRL Certificate revocation list 

DES Data Encryption Standard 

ECB Electronic Codebook 

ECC Elliptic Curve Cryptography 

ECC MQV ECC Menezes-Qu-Vanstone Algorithm 

ECDSA Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm 

ECDH Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman Algorithm 

FIPS Federal Information Processing Standard 

FISMA Federal Information Security Management Act 

ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization 

ITL Information Technology Laboratory 

MQV Menezes-Qu-Vanstone cryptographic algorithm 

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology 

OCSP Online Certificate Status Protocol 

OID Object Identifier 

OMB Office of Management and Budget 

PIV Personal Identity Verification 

PKI Public Key Infrastructure 

PSS Probabilistic Signature Scheme 

RSA Rivest, Shamir, Adleman cryptographic algorithm 

SHA Secure Hash Algorithm 

SP Special Publication 

TDEA Triple Data Encryption Algorithm; Triple DEA 

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Special Publication 800-78-1 Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Sizes for PIV 

Appendix B—References 

[FIPS186-3] Draft Federal Information Processing Standard 186-3, Digital Signature Standard 

(DSS), March 2006 (Revision of FIPS 186-2, June 2000). (See 

http://csrc.nist.gov) 

[FIPS197] Federal Information Processing Standard 197, Advanced Encryption Standard 

(AES), November 2001. (See http://csrc.nist.gov) 

[FIPS201] Federal Information Processing Standard 201-1, Change Notice 1, Personal 

Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors, March 2006. 

(See http://csrc.nist.gov) 

[MRTD] PKI for Machine Readable Travel Documents Offering ICC Read-Only Access 

Version - 1.1 Date - October 01, 2004. Published by authority of the Secretary 

General, International Civil Aviation Organization. 

[PKCS1] Jonsson, J., and B. Kaliski, "PKCS #1: RSA Cryptography Specifications Version 

2.1", RFC 3447, February 2003. 

[RFC 3279] Polk, W., Housley, R., and L. Bassham, "Algorithms and Identifiers for the 

Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate and Certificate Revocation 

Lists (CRL) Profile", RFC 3279, April 2002. 

[SP800-56A] NIST Special Publication 800-56A, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key 

Establishment Schemes Using Discrete Logarithm Cryptography, March 2006. 

(See http://csrc.nist.gov) 

[SP800-57(1)] NIST Special Publication 800-57, Recommendation on Key Management – Part 

1: General, May 2006. (See http://csrc.nist.gov) 

[SP800-67] NIST Special Publication 800-67, Recommendation for Triple Data Encryption 

Algorithm Block Cipher, May 2004. (See http://csrc.nist.gov) 

[SUITE B] NSA Fact Sheet: Suite B Cryptography. (See 

http://www.nsa.gov/ia/industry/crypto_suite_b.cfm) 

[SP800-73] NIST Special Publication 800-73-1, Interfaces for Personal Identity Verification, 

March 2006. (See http://csrc.nist.gov) 

[SP800-76] NIST Special Publication 800-76-1, Biometric Data Specification for Personal 

Identity Verification, January 2007. (See http://csrc.nist.gov) 

 

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