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Key Escrow Workshop agenda & discussion paper 3




Key Escrow Workshop agenda & discussion paper 3


September 1, 1995


Dear Participant:


Thank you for agreeing to participate in the two-day
meeting on software key escrow encryption.  We are
anxious to work with you and other industry
representatives to facilitate development of exportable
key escrow encryption in software products.  I look
forward to the workshop being an important step in that
process.


I have attached a draft agenda for the two days.  I
propose that we spend the majority of our time discussing
a set of export criteria.  In order to move that
discussion along, a draft set of criteria is attached. 
The criteria state, in general terms, the government's
needs with respect to exportable software, consistent
with its law enforcement and national security
requirements.  Since it is important that the final
criteria be clear, straightforward, consistent, and
implementable, Mike Nelson of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy will spend a few minutes describing
these criteria on the first morning of the meeting. 
After that, we would like to hear your perspectives on
them and work with you to refine them.  On the second
day, we plan to discuss the export licensing process for
such products, and begin exploring characteristics of
acceptable key escrow agents.


Again, thank you for your participation.  I look forward
to seeing you there.


Sincerely,

/ s /


Raymond G. Kammer
Deputy Director


Attachments


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


TENTATIVE AGENDA


Key Escrow Issues Meeting


September 6-7, 1995
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, Maryland


Wednesday, September 6, 1995


9:00          Welcome, Agenda Overview, Logistics
              Ed Roback, NIST

9:10          Review of Meeting Goals
              Ray Kammer, NIST Deputy Director


Session I --  Software Key Escrow Exportability Criteria


9:20          Briefing -- Discussion Draft of Software
              Key Escrow Export Criteria
              Michael Nelson, Office of Science and
              Technology Policy

10:00         Industry Perspectives on Exportability
              Criteria

              (Industry briefings/reactions  5-10
              minutes max.)

10:45         Break

11:00         Industry Perspectives on Exportability
              Criteria, continued.

11:45         Discussion of Breakout Session Tasks

              At registration, you will be asked to sign
              up for a breakout session. 

              Groups A1, A2:       Criterion #2 

              Groups B1, B2:       Criteria #3, 4, 9

              Groups C1, C2:       Criteria #5, 6

              Groups D1, D2:       Criteria #7, 8

              Criterion #10 is the subject of Session
              II, and criterion #1 (64-bit) is
              straight-forward.  

              Breakout room assignments will be
              announced at this time.


12:00         Lunch (on own, cafeteria available)


1:00          Breakout session #1
                        
              Groups will be asked to: 

              1)  determine whether each criterion is
              clear and, if not, propose appropriate
              modifications;
                     
              2)  identify issues (which may arise from
              the criteria assigned to the group) which
              need to be addressed, and by whom; and

              3)  develop technical ideas/approaches for
              achieving each criterion.

3:00          Break

3:15          Plenary -- Reports from Breakout Session
              #1

4:00          Breakout Session #2

              Participants will be asked to select
              either a technical or criteria-focused
              group.   

              Technical groups are asked to:

              1)  synthesize the proposed technical
              approaches (just presented in plenary) and
              identify/discuss the most promising
              approaches.

              Criteria focused groups are asked to:

              1)  look at all criteria and the
              comments/issues raised and propose ways to
              reconcile any differences; and
       
              2)  prioritize the issues that remain to
              be addressed, if any, for each criterion.

5:00          End of day


Thursday, September 7, 1995


9:00          Plenary -- Reports from Breakout Session
              #2

9:45          Export Licensing Process
              Randy Williams, U.S. Dept. of Commerce
              Dan Cook, U.S. Dept. of State

10:15         Questions / Discussion

10:30         Break


Session II -- Desirable Characteristics for Key Escrow
              Agents


10:45         Panel: Government Perspectives on Key
              Escrow Agent Issues
              Geoff Greiveldinger, U.S. Dept. of Justice
              Ray Kammer, NIST
              Penny Brummitt, NSA  

11:30         Industry Perspectives on K.E. Agent Issues

12:30         Lunch (on own, cafeteria available)

1:30          Breakout Session #3

              Each group is asked to identify proposed
              key criteria for desirable escrow agents. 
              Same groups and room assignments as
              Breakout session #1.

2:45          Break

3:00          Plenary - Report of Breakout Sessions


Session III -- Other Related Issues


3:30          Other Issues 

              This is an opportunity for participants to
              raise related key escrow issues.

4:30          Follow-up Issues & Wrap-up

4:45          Adjourn


Note:  The meeting will be open to the public, although
seating is limited.  Advance registration is requested,
please contact Arlene Carlton on 301/975-3240, fax:
301/948-1784 or e-mail: [email protected].          
             
_ _ _

9/1/95

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

Key Escrow Issues Meeting, September 6-7, 1995


Discussion Paper #3


Export Criteria Discussion Draft -- 64-bit Software Key
Escrow Encryption


As discussed at the SPA/AEA meeting on August 17, 1995,
the Administration is willing to allow the export of
software encryption provided that the products use
algorithms with key space that does not exceed 64 bits
and the key(s) required to decrypt messages/files are
escrowed with approved escrow agents. On the same date,
the September 6-7 key escrow issues meeting at NIST was
also announced.  The two principal topics at the meeting
will be:  discussion of issues of exportability of 64-bit
software key escrow encryption and 2) desirable
characteristics for key escrow agents.


In order to help make most productive use of the limited
time available at the upcoming meeting and to better
focus deliberation, the following criteria are being
distributed for discussion purposes.  Since it is
important that final criteria be clear, straightforward,
consistent, and implementable, please review these draft
criteria and be prepared to discuss how they may be
refined and made more specific.


Draft Export Criteria for Software Key Escrow Encryption


Software key escrow encryption products meeting the
following criteria will be granted special export
licensing treatment similar to that afforded other
mass-market software products with encryption.


1.   The product will use an unclassified encryption
     algorithm (e.g., DES, RC4) with a key length not to
     exceed 64 bits.


2.   The product shall be designed to prevent multiple 
     encryption (e.g., triple-DES).


3.   The key required to decrypt each message or file
     shall be accessible through a key escrow mechanism
     in the product, and such keys will be escrowed
     during manufacture in accordance with #10.  If such
     keys are not escrowed during manufacture, the
     product shall be inoperable until the key is
     escrowed in accordance with #10.


4.   The key escrow mechanism shall be designed to
     include with each encrypted message or file, in a
     format accessible by authorized entities, the
     identity of the key escrow agent(s), and
     information sufficient for the escrow agent(s) to
     identify the key or key components required to
     decrypt that message.


5.   The product shall be resistant to any alteration
     that would disable or circumvent the key escrow
     mechanism, to include being designed so that the
     key escrow mechanism cannot be disabled by a static
     patch, (i.e., the replacement of a block of code by
     a modified block).


6.   The product shall not decrypt messages or files
     encrypted by non-escrowed products, including
     products whose key escrow mechanisms have been
     altered or disabled.


7.   The key escrow mechanism allows access to a user's
     encrypted information regardless of whether that
     user is the sender or the intended recipient of the
     encrypted information.


8.   The key escrow mechanism shall not require repeated
     involvement by the escrow agents for the recovery
     of multiple decryption keys during the period of
     authorized access.


9.   In the event any such product is or may be
     available in the United States, each production
     copy of the software shall either have a unique key
     required for decrypting messages or files that is
     escrowed in accordance with #10, or have the
     capability for its escrow mechanism to be rekeyed
     and any new key to be escrowed in accordance with
     #10.


10.  The product shall accept escrow of its key(s) only
     with escrow agents certified by the U.S. Government
     or by foreign governments with which the U.S.
     Government has formal agreements consistent with
     U.S. law enforcement and national security
     requirements.


Note: Software products incorporating additional
encryption methods other than key escrow encryption
methods will be evaluated for export on the basis of each
encryption method included, as is already the case with
existing products. Accordingly, these criteria apply only
to the key escrow encryption method incorporated by a
software product, and not to other non-escrowed
encryption methods it may incorporate.  For instance,
non-escrowed encryption using a key length of 40 bits
or less will continue to be exportable under existing
export regulations.

- - -

Please also review discussion paper #1 (distributed
earlier), which raises a number of issues involving
exportability criteria and how exportable products could
be designed.  Discussion paper #2 (also previously
distributed) presents questions involving key escrow
agents.


Note:  These issues will be discussed at the Key Escrow
Issues Meeting to be held September 6-7, 1995 (9:00 a.m.
- 5:00 p.m.) at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (Gaithersburg, Maryland).  The meeting will be
open to the public, although seating is limited.  Advance
registration is requested, please contact Arlene Carlton
on 301/975-3240, fax: 301/948-1784 or e-mail:
[email protected].

9/1/95