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C00002 00002	               ENCRYPTION ALGORITHMS FOR COMPUTER DATA PROTECTION
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               ENCRYPTION ALGORITHMS FOR COMPUTER DATA PROTECTION

                           Reopening of Solicitation

	Under the provisions of  Pub.  L. 89-306 and Executive  Order 11717, the
Secretary of Commerce  is authorized to establish uniform Federal ADP Standards.
NBS intends  to publish,  in the  near future,  an algorithm  for computer  data
encryption as  a standard  for use  by Federal  agencies.   NBS also  intends to
subsequently publish guidelines for implementing and using this algorithm.

	Because  of the  significant  value or  sensitivity of  communicated and
stored data, the need for adequate protection of this data from theft and misuse
has  become  a national  issue.   It  is  generally  recognized that  encryption
represents a primary means of protecting  data during transmission and a  useful
means of protecting stored data, provided that encryption techniques of adequate
strength are  devised, validated and integrated into  a system's archecture.  In
order to  insure compatibility  of secure  data transfer  methods among  Federal
government agencies  and suppliers of  data, it  is necessary to  make available
such an encryption standard and guidelines for its use.

	A  prior  solicitation  for  computer  data  encryption  algorithms  was
published in the Federal Register of May 15, 1973 (38 FR 12763).

	In order  to ensure  that a full  opportunity to  submit algroithms  for
consideration is  accorded to all parties,  and due to  the currency, timeliness
and pertinence of  this effort, NBS  is reopening the  initial solicitation  for
these  algorithms  described  in the  May  15,  1973  Federal  Register  notice.
Computer data encryption  algorithms and comments relative to the publication of
such a standard and guidelines for usage are hereby solicited.

	Responses to  this solicitation  should be  submitted  to the  Director,
Institute for  computer sciences and  Technology, National Bureau  of Standards,
Washington D.C. 20234 on or before September 26, 1974.

	Dated: August 21, 1974.

				R. S. Walleigh
				Acting Director

	[FR Doc. 74-19757 Filed 8-26-74;8:45 am]