Study of National Cryptography Policy

["Herb Lin" <hlin@nas.edu>]

February 3, 1994

To: Whom It May Concern
Subject: A Study of National Cryptography Policy

This message should be forwarded to any and all individuals or groups that
may be interested.

-----------------------------------------------

In a message broadcast electronically and by fax in December 1993, the
Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (CSTB) of the National
Research Council (NRC) issued a call for nominations of possible committee
members who would undertake a study of national policy with respect to the
use and regulation of cryptography.  This report was requested by the U.S.
Congress in the Defense Authorization Bill for FY 1994.

That message said that ALL committee members (and associated staff) would
have to be cleared at the "SI/TK" level.  Since that time, there has been some
discussion of a study that would only require SOME members of the study
committee to be cleared.  Thus, in the interests of casting the broadest
possible net to capture the necessary expertise, we are re-issuing the call for
nominations to find those people who otherwise fit the criteria below but who
would have been reluctant to accept security clearances or to undergo the
required investigation.

It is expected that the study committee will be a high-level group that will
command credibility and respect across the range of government, academic,
commercial, and private interests.  The committee will include members with
expertise in areas such as:

  - relevant computer and communications technology;
  - cryptographic technologies and cryptanalysis;
  - foreign, national security, and intelligence affairs;
  - law enforcement;
  - commercial interests (both users and technology vendors); and
  - privacy and consumer interests.

Committee members will be chosen for their stature, expertise, and seniority
in their fields; their willingness to listen and consider fairly other points of
view; and their ability to contribute to the formulation of consensus
positions.
The committee as a whole will be chosen to reflect the range of judgment and
opinion on the subject under consideration.

Note that NRC rules regarding conflict of interest forbid the selection as
committee members of individuals that have substantial personal financial
interests that might be significantly affected by the outcome of the study; in
addition, individuals currently employed by the federal government are
ineligible to serve on the study committee.

Please forward suggestions for people to participate in this project to
CSTB@NAS.EDU by February 11, 1993; please include their institutional
affiliations, their field(s) of expertise, a note describing how the criteria
described above apply to them, and a way to contact them.  For our
administrative convenience, please put in the "SUBJECT:" field of your
message the words "crypto person".

If you would like a copy of the original solicitation, please send a request to
CSTB@NAS.EDU.

On the National Research Council

The National Research Council (NRC) is the operating arm of the Academy
complex, which includes the National Academy of Sciences, the National
Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The NRC is a source
of impartial and independent advice to the federal government and other
policy makers that is able to bring to bear the best scientific and technical
talent in the nation to answer questions of national significance.  In addition,
it often acts as a neutral party in convening meetings among multiple
stakeholders on any given issue, thereby facilitating the generation of
consensus on controversial issues.

The Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (CSTB) of the NRC
considers technical and policy issues pertaining to computer science,
telecommunications, and associated technologies.  CSTB monitors the health
of the computer science, computing technology, and telecommunications
fields, including attention as appropriate to the issues of human resources and
information infrastructure and initiates studies involving computer science,
computing technology, and telecommunications as critical resources and
sources of national economic strength.  A list of CSTB publications is
available on request.