While few would argue with the need for the government to access its own internal communications, the NSA Clipper chip proposal to extend this key escrow requirement to public use of cryptography was highly controversial. Investigative access – making sure encrypted communications are accessible to the U.S.One NSA goal is benign fill (technology for distributing keys in a way that the humans never have access to plaintext key). Key management – getting keys securely to thousands of crypto boxes in the field, perhaps the most challenging part of any encryption system.Traffic flow security – making sure an adversary cannot obtain information from traffic analysis, often accomplished by link encryption.In 2003, for the first time in its history, NSA approved two published algorithms, Skipjack and AES for Type 1 use in NSA approved systems. Little is publicly known about the algorithms NSA has developed for protecting classified information, what NSA calls Type 1 algorithms. Confidentiality and authentication – making sure messages cannot be read by unauthorized people and that they cannot be forged ( nonrepudiation).NSA has to deal with many factors in ensuring the security of communication and information ( COMSEC and INFOSEC in NSA jargon): 3 NSA encryption by type of application.2.5 Fifth generation: network-centric systems.2.4 Fourth generation: electronic key distribution.2.3 Third generation: integrated circuits.2.1 First generation: electromechanical.21st century systems often contain all the sensitive cryptographic functions on a single, tamper-resistant integrated circuit that supports multiple algorithms and allows over-the-air or network re keying, so that a single hand-held field radio, such as the AN/PRC-148 or AN/PRC-152, can interoperate with most current NSA cryptosystems. Controls can be limited to selecting between key fill, normal operation, and diagnostic modes and an all important zeroize button that erases classified information including keys and perhaps the encryption algorithms. They typically have electrical connectors for the red signals, the black signals, electrical power, and a port for loading keys. In fact they are called blackers in NSA parlance because they convert plaintext classified signals ( red) into encrypted unclassified ciphertext signals ( black). Late 20th century systems are just black boxes, often literally. The first generation electronic systems were quirky devices with cantankerous punched card readers for loading keys and failure-prone, tricky-to-maintain vacuum tube circuitry. Rotor machines from the 1940s and 1950s were mechanical marvels. The technical details of most NSA-approved systems are still classified, but much more about its early systems have become known and its most modern systems share at least some features with commercial products. Government encryption systems when it was formed in 1952.
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