House Committee Puts NSA on Notice Over Encryption Standards

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Amendment would remove requirement that the National Institute of Standards and Technology consult with the NSA on encryption standards

Amendment would remove requirement that the National Institute of Standards and Technology consult with the NSA on encryption standards

by Justin Elliott ProPublica, May 23, 2014, 4:55 p.m.

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An amendment adopted by a House committee would, if enacted, take a step toward removing the National Security Agency from the business of meddling with encryption standards that protect security on the Internet.

As we reported with the Guardian and the New York Times last year, the NSA has for years engaged in a multi-front war on encryption, in many cases cracking the technology that is used to protect the confidentiality of intercepted communications. Part of the NSAs efforts centered on the development of encryption standards by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which sets standards that are adopted by government and industry.

Documents provided by Edward Snowden suggest that the NSA inserted a backdoor into one popular encryption standard, prompting NIST to launch an ongoing review of all its existing standards.

The amendment adopted this week by the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology would remove an existing requirement in the law that NIST consult with the NSA on encryption standards.

In a Dear Colleague letter, the amendments sponsor, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), quoted our story on the NSA from last year.

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House Committee Puts NSA on Notice Over Encryption Standards