NIST reports measurable success of advanced encryption standard

NIST REPORTS MEASURABLE SUCCESS OF ADVANCED ENCRYPTION STANDARD

An independent study confirms industrys early adoption and implementation of NIST's Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 197, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

The number of products worldwide that implemented the NIST Data Encryption Standard (DES), including Triple DES, grew rapidly from 1999 through June 2001, but leveled off by December 2001. The slowdown in the announcement of new DES products apparently was due to the impending adoption of FIPS 197, AES, which was approved by the Secretary of Commerce on Dec. 6, 2001. In December 2001, a private survey found a total of 74 products had already implemented the AES, indicating very rapid acceptance and adoption of the AES algorithm, with companies already offering products in anticipation of final approval of the standard.

The early adoption of AES is perhaps more remarkable because, prior to the approval of FIPS 197, AES algorithm testing was not available through NIST's Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP), a program for assurance testing of cryptographic modules jointly operated by NIST and the Canadian Government Communications Security Establishment. NIST has now released an updated algorithm test tool to the CMVP laboratories that includes AES algorithm testing and expects to see many more AES implementations now that validation testing is available.

CONTACT: Bill Burr, [phone]; [email protected].