Notice2023-18197
Request for Comments on Draft FIPS-203, Draft FIPS-204, and Draft FIPS-205
Primary source
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Published
August 24, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Institute of Standards and Technology
Abstract
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requests comments on three draft Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS): FIPS 203, Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism Standard, FIPS 204, Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Standard, and FIPS 205, Stateless Hash-based Digital Signature Standard. These proposed standards specify key establishment and digital signature schemes that are designed to resist future attacks by quantum computers, which threaten the security of current standards. The three algorithms specified in these standards are each derived from different submissions in the NIST post-quantum cryptography standardization project (see: https://csrc.nist.gov/Projects/post- quantum-cryptography/post-quantum-cryptography-standardization).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 163 (Thursday, August 24, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 163 (Thursday, August 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57938-57939]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-18197]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 230814-0193]
Request for Comments on Draft FIPS-203, Draft FIPS-204, and Draft
FIPS-205
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
requests comments on three draft Federal Information Processing
Standards (FIPS): FIPS 203, Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation
Mechanism Standard, FIPS 204, Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature
Standard, and FIPS 205, Stateless Hash-based Digital Signature
Standard. These proposed standards specify key establishment and
digital signature schemes that are designed to resist future attacks by
quantum computers, which threaten the security of current standards.
The three algorithms specified in these standards are each derived from
different submissions in the NIST post-quantum cryptography
standardization project (see: <a href="https://csrc.nist.gov/Projects/post-quantum-cryptography/post-quantum-cryptography-standardization">https://csrc.nist.gov/Projects/post-quantum-cryptography/post-quantum-cryptography-standardization</a>).
DATES: Comments on FIPS 203, FIPS 204, or FIPS 205 must be received on
or before November 22, 2023.
ADDRESSES: The drafts of FIPS 203, FIPS 204, and FIPS 205 are available
for review and comment on the NIST Computer Security Resource Center
website at <a href="https://csrc.nist.gov">https://csrc.nist.gov</a> and at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. Comments
on FIPS 203 may be sent electronically to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#50161900037d6260637d333f3d3d353e2423103e3923247e373f26"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="286e61787b051a181b054b4745454d465c5b6846415b5c064f475e">[email protected]</span></a>
with ``Comment on FIPS 203'' in the subject line or submitted via
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. Comments on FIPS 204 may be sent electronically to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fcbab5acafd1ceccc8d19f9391919992888fbc92958f88d29b938a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9ed8d7cecdb3acaeaab3fdf1f3f3fbf0eaeddef0f7edeab0f9f1e8">[email protected]</span></a> with ``Comment on FIPS 204'' in the subject
line or via <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. Comments on FIPS 205 may be sent
electronically to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9ddbd4cdceb0afada8b0fef2f0f0f8f3e9eeddf3f4eee9b3faf2eb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6e28273e3d435c5e5b430d0103030b001a1d2e00071d1a40090118">[email protected]</span></a> with ``Comment on FIPS
205'' in the subject line or via <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. Written comments
may also be submitted by mail to Information Technology Laboratory,
ATTN: FIPS Comments, National Institute of Standards and Technology,
100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8930, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930.
All relevant comments received by the deadline will be published
electronically at <a href="https://csrc.nist.gov">https://csrc.nist.gov</a> and <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> without
change or redaction, so commenters should not include information they
do not wish to be posted (e.g., personal or confidential business
information). Comments that contain profanity, vulgarity, threats, or
other inappropriate language or content will not be posted or
considered. After the comment period closes, NIST will analyze the
comments, make changes to the documents as appropriate, and then
propose the drafts FIPS 203, FIPS 204, and FIPS 205 to the Secretary of
Commerce for approval.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Dustin Moody, National Institute
of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8930,
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4a0e3f393e2324640725252e330a2423393e642d253c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1a5e6f696e7374345775757e635a7473696e347d756c">[email protected]</span></a>, phone: (301)
975-8136.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Over the past several years, there has been
steady progress toward building quantum computers. The security of many
commonly used public-key cryptosystems would be at risk if large-scale
quantum computers were ever realized. In particular, this would include
key-establishment schemes and digital signatures that are based on
integer factorization and discrete logarithms (both over finite fields
and elliptic curves). As a result, in 2017, the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) initiated a public
[[Page 57939]]
process to select quantum-resistant public-key cryptographic algorithms
for standardization. These quantum-resistant algorithms would augment
the public-key cryptographic algorithms already contained in FIPS 186-
5, Digital Signature Standard (DSS), as well as NIST Special
Publication (SP) 800-56A Revision 3, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key-
Establishment Schemes Using Discrete Logarithm Cryptography, and SP
800-56B Revision 2, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key Establishment
Using Integer Factorization Cryptography.
NIST issued a public call for submissions to the Post-Quantum
Cryptography (PQC) Standardization Process in December 2016. Prior to
the November 2017 deadline, a total of 82 candidate algorithms were
submitted. Shortly thereafter, the 69 candidates that met both the
submission requirements and the minimum acceptability criteria were
accepted into the first round of the standardization process.
Submission packages for the first-round candidates were posted online
for public review and comment.
After a year-long review of the candidates, NIST selected 26
algorithms to move on to the second round of evaluation in January
2019. These algorithms were viewed as the most promising candidates for
eventual standardization, and were selected based on both internal
analysis and public feedback. During the second round, there was
continued evaluation by NIST and the broader cryptographic community.
After consideration of these analyses and other public input received
throughout the evaluation process, NIST selected seven finalists and
eight alternates to move on to the third round in July 2020.
The third round began in July 2020 and continued for approximately
18 months. During the third round, there was a more thorough analysis
of the theoretical and empirical evidence used to justify the security
of the candidates. There was also careful benchmarking of their
performance using optimized implementations on a variety of software
and hardware platforms. Similar to the first two rounds, NIST also held
the (virtual) Third NIST PQC Standardization Conference in June 2021.
NIST summarized its decisions in a report at the end of each round;
NISTIR 8240 for the first round, NISTIR 8309 for the second round, and
NISTIR 8413 for the third round. These reports are available at <a href="https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/ir">https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/ir</a>.
After three rounds of evaluation and analysis, NIST selected four
algorithms it will standardize as a result of the PQC Standardization
Process. The public-key encapsulation mechanism selected was CRYSTALS-
KYBER, along with three digital signature schemes: CRYSTALS-Dilithium,
FALCON, and SPHINCS+. It is intended that these algorithms will be
capable of protecting sensitive U.S. Government information well into
the foreseeable future, including after the advent of quantum
computers.
The draft of FIPS 203 specifies a cryptographic scheme called
Module Learning with errors Key Encapsulation Mechanism, or MLWE-KEM,
which is derived from the CRYSTALS-KYBER submission. A Key
Encapsulation Mechanism (or KEM) is a particular type of key
establishment scheme which can be used to establish a shared secret key
between two parties communicating over a public channel. Current NIST-
approved key establishment schemes are specified in SP 800-56A
Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key-Establishment Schemes Using Discrete
Logarithm-Based Cryptography and SP 800-56B, Recommendation for Pair-
Wise Key Establishment Schemes Using Integer Factorization
Cryptography.
The drafts of FIPS 204 and 205 each specify digital signature
schemes, which are used to detect unauthorized modifications to data
and to authenticate the identity of the signatory. FIPS 204 specifies
the Module Learning with errors Digital Signature Algorithm, or ML-DSA,
which is derived from CRYSTALS-Dilithium submission. FIPS 205 specifies
the Stateless Hash-based Digital Signature Algorithm, or SLH-DSA,
derived from the SPHINCS+ submission. Current NIST-approved digital
signature schemes are specified in FIPS 186-5, Digital Signature
Standard and SP 800-208, Recommendation for Stateful Hash-based
Signature Schemes. In the future, NIST intends to develop a FIPS
specifying a digital signature algorithm derived from FALCON as an
additional alternative to these standards.
Authority: 40 U.S.C. 11331(f), 15 U.S.C. 278g-3.
Alicia Chambers,
NIST Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2023-18197 Filed 8-23-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P
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