[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21538-21539]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8573]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket No. 120224144-2069-01]


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

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice and Request for Comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
requests comments on revisions to Federal Information Processing 
Standard (FIPS) 186-3, Digital Signature Standard, which was approved 
in January 2009. The proposed revisions are available at http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsDrafts.html.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 25, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent to: Chief, Computer Security 
Division, Information Technology Laboratory, Attention: Draft Change 
Notice FIPS 186-3, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8930, National Institute 
of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930. Electronic 
comments may be sent to: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0a6c637a79553b323c27395569626b646d6f5564657e63696f4a6463797e246d657c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0b6d627b78543a333d26385468636a656c6e5465647f62686e4b6562787f256c647d">[email protected]</span></a>, with 
``186-3 Change Notice'' in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elaine Barker, Computer Security 
Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, 
MD 20899-8930, phone: 301-975-2911, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a7c2cbc6cec9c289c5c6d5ccc2d5e7c9ced4d389c0c8d1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a4c1c8c5cdcac18ac6c5d6cfc1d6e4cacdd7d08ac3cbd2">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FIPS 186, first published in 1994, specified 
a digital signature algorithm (DSA) to generate and verify digital 
signatures. Later revisions (FIPS 186-1, FIPS 186-2, and FIPS 186-3, 
adopted in 1998, 1999 and 2009, respectively) adopted two additional 
algorithms: The Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) and 
the RSA digital signature algorithm.
    NIST is seeking public comment on proposed revisions to FIPS 186-3. 
This proposed revision:
    <bullet> Clarifies terms used within the FIPS;
    <bullet> Allows the use of any random bit/number generator that is 
approved for use in FIPS-140-validated modules;
    <bullet> Reduces restrictions on the retention and use of prime 
number generation seeds for generating RSA key pairs;
    <bullet> Corrects statements in FIPS 186-3 regarding the generation 
of the integer k, which is used as a secret number in the generation of 
DSA and ECDSA digital signatures;
    <bullet> Corrects a typographical error in the processing steps of 
secret number generation for ECDSA;
    <bullet> Corrects the wording of the criteria for generating RSA 
key pairs; and
    <bullet> Aligns the specification for the use of a salt with 
RSASSA-PSS digital signatures scheme with Public Key Cryptography 
Standard (PKCS) <greek-i>1.
    Authority: In accordance with the Information Technology Management 
Reform Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-106) and the Federal Information 
Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA) (Pub. L. 107-347), the 
Secretary of Commerce is authorized to approve Federal Information 
Processing Standards (FIPS). NIST activities to develop computer 
security standards to protect Federal sensitive (unclassified) 
information systems are undertaken pursuant to specific 
responsibilities assigned to NIST by section 20 of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278g-3), as 
amended by section 303 of FISMA.
    E.O. 12866: This notice has been determined not to be significant 
for the purposes of E.O. 12866.


[[Page 21539]]


    Dated: March 30, 2012.
Willie E. May,
Associate Director for Laboratory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2012-8573 Filed 4-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P


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