Specialist Task Force 317:
Revision of Algo-Paper parameters

Who we are:

Team Leader: Mr. Ernst Giessmann
Team Members: Mr. Ulrich Latzenhofer  
Prof. Bart Preneel  
Dr. Georg Illies

What we do :

The purpose of this STF is to review the security parameters defined by the technical specifications ETSI TS 102 176-1 and TS 102 176-2 in the light of recent publications on security breaches and other recommendations given by experts in cryptography.

Work Items:
ESI-000054-1 (TS 102 176-1)
ESI-000054-2 (TS 102 176-2)

Read our Terms of Reference

Why we do it:

The Electronic Signature Standardization done by TC ESI is the base for establishing public trust and confidence in different kinds of eBusiness services. It provides interoperable and harmonized specifications that have been recognized as important in the member states. One of these tasks was the review and update of the so called Algo Paper that was created by a group of experts under the mandate of Article 9 committee according to the Directive 1999/93/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 1999 on a Community framework for electronic signatures. It was finished by the STF 263 task 3 in 2005 publishing the Technical Specifications ETSI TS 102 176-1 and TS 102 176-2.

 The reason for proposing this STF is the mathematical progress in cryptography in the last year and new methods of attacks against secure signature creation devices. The parameters and algorithms recognized as secure in the Technical Specification ETSI TS 102 176-1 and TS 102 176-2 must be reconsidered and updated to foster the applicability and usability of these specification.

 Different publications by the European Network of Excellence (ECRYPT), the American National Institute of Standardization (NIST) and also national recommendations (Austria, Germany) strengthen already the security parameters suitable for electronic signature algorithms.

 The second part of the technical specification (TS 102 176-2) on symmetric algorithms and protocols for secure channels needs a review as well, because the underlying document, a CEN Workshop Agreement will be updated and transformed in a European Norm in the near future.

 The referenced technical specifications ETSI TS 102 176-1 and TS 102 176-2 will be used as widely recognized standard documents in the future only, if they take in consideration the actual results in cryptography and security protection. It is important to point out, that basically both documents can be kept as they are, the urgent need is to adjust the security parameters listed in the specifications.

Time plan for the work: Start of the work

How to contact us :

If you would like more information, please contact the STF Leader: ErnstG.Giessmann@T-SYSTEMS.COM

Note: this information is based upon STF working assumptions.
The views expressed do not necessarily represent the position of ETSI in this context.