(via Schneierblog) Exclusive: NSA encryption plan for ‘internet of things’ rejected by international body
Jack Barton and 3 contributors Started 20 Apr 2018 | Last edited 1 day ago An attempt by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) to set two types of encryption as global standards suffered a major setback on Tuesday, after online security experts from countries including U.S. allies voted against the plan, for use on the “internet of things.” A source at an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) meeting of expert delegations in Wuhan, China, told WikiTribune that the U.S. delegation, including NSA officials, refused to provide the standard level of technical information to proceed. The vote is the latest setback for the NSA’s plan, which was pruned in September after ISO delegates expressed distrust and concerns that the U.S. agency could be promoting encryption technology it knew how to break, rather than the most secure. The ISO sets agreed standards for a wide range of products, services, and measurements in almost every industry including technology, manufacturing, food, agriculture, and health. The body has been looking into adopting recommended encryption technology to improve security in devices that make up the “internet of things.” These include household items such as smart speakers, fridges, lighting and heating systems, and wearable technology. The NSA has been pushing for these encryption tools to get a seal of approval from the ISO so they will become approved by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), and become standard for all U.S. government departments and related companies, said the source. Agreeing to adopt ‘Simon’ and ‘Speck’ as standard block cipher algorithms would have made these part of the recommended encryption technology for a huge range of products. < - > https://www.wikitribune.com/story/2018/04/20/business/exclusive-nsa-encryption-plan-for-internet-of-things-rejected-by-international-body/67004/ _______________________________________________ Infowarrior mailing list Infowarrior@attrition.org https://attrition.org/mailman/listinfo/infowarrior
