NSA Influenced Encryption Algorithms

In light of the public revelations about the NSA’s attempt to weaken encryption standards including the random number generation standard named Dual_EC_DRBG (NIST Special Publication 800-90), and the recommendation by RSA Security to their customers to avoid using this algorithm, it is natural that our customers would ask if we are using this technology in our products.

I can confirm that we are NOT using this algorithm in any of our security products including our flagship enterprise key management solution, Alliance Key Manager. Further, the secure TLS connections for key retrieval and encryption services only allow 2048-bit RSA encryption. We do not allow the negotiation of other, potentially weak, connection methods. We implement strong cryptography in our solutions, we maintain all of the source code for our applications, our source code is independently reviewed by security professionals and cryptographers, and our solution is FIPS 140-2 validated by a NIST-certified testing laboratory. There are no known weaknesses in our encryption and key management applications and processes.

I am encouraged that NIST has opened a public review of the Dual_EC_DRBG standard and am fully confident that they will resolve any security issues that exist in the standard using an open, public review process.

I have full confidence in the security professionals at NIST. I have watched their work over many years, benefited from their guidance and diligence in the area of security, and consider them to be some of the most honorable, intelligent, and hard working members of the security community. We owe them the chance to do what they do best - review the standards, bring the best minds to the process, and publish credible and defensible standards.

Patrick