The vast majority of the National Security Agency's work on encryption is classified, but from time to time NSA participates in standards processes or otherwise publishes information about its cryptographic algorithms. The NSA has categorized encryption items into four product types, and algorithms into two suites. The following is a brief and incomplete summary of public knowledge about NSA algorithms and protocols.
Type 1 Product
A Type 1 Product refers to an NSA endorsed classified or controlled cryptographic item for classified or sensitive U.S. government information, including cryptographic equipment, assembly or component classified or certified by NSA for encrypting and decrypting classified and sensitive national security information when appropriately keyed.
{| class="wikitable"
!Name
!Type
!Specification
!Use
!Equipment (incomplete list)
|-
|
|
|R21-TECH-13-00, " 3.0 Specification" (August 2000)
|
|AIM (1999 and 2004 brochures), SafeXcel-3340, PSIAM
|-
|AES (256-bit keys only)
|Block cipher
|FIPS 197
|Numerous
|Numerous
|-
|BATON
|Block cipher
|
|Various
|PKCS#11, CDSA/CSSM, AIM (1999 and 2004 brochures), CYPRIS, APCO Project 25, MYK-85, Fortezza Plus, SecNet-11, Sierra, SafeXcel-3340, PSIAM
Commercial National Security Algorithm Suite
A set of cryptographic algorithms promulgated by the National Security Agency as a replacement for NSA Suite B Cryptography until post-quantum cryptography standards are promulgated.
Quantum resistant suite
In August 2015, NSA announced that it is planning to transition "in the not distant future" to a new cipher suite that is resistant to quantum attacks. "Unfortunately, the growth of elliptic curve use has bumped up against the fact of continued progress in the research on quantum computing, necessitating a re-evaluation of our cryptographic strategy." NSA advised: "For those partners and vendors that have not yet made the transition to Suite B algorithms, we recommend not making a significant expenditure to do so at this point but instead to prepare for the upcoming quantum resistant algorithm transition."
See also
- NSA encryption systems
- Speck and Simon, light-weight block ciphers, published by NSA in 2013