Terms of Reference Security Algorithms Group of Experts (SAGE)

Approved Board#97

Special Committee

The Security Algorithms Group of Experts (SAGE) is responsible for creating reports (containing confidential specifications), draft ETSI deliverables in the area of cryptographic algorithms and protocols specific to fraud prevention/unauthorized access to public/private telecommunications networks and user data privacy.

SAGE provides a service to all ETSI Technical Bodies and organisations with whom ETSI has a formal relationship e.g. other European standards bodies. All work done by SAGE must be sponsored by the appropriate ETSI Technical Body or, with the agreement of the Board, by an outside body. The full requirements (target dates, commercial objectivities etc.) are defined by the sponsoring Technical Body and variation requires the agreement of the sponsoring Technical Body. The Technical Body is responsible for getting the agreement of the Board for inclusion of items in the ETSI Work Programme that are to be carried out by SAGE.

The objectives set by the Technical Body (or outside body) shall define the level of confidentiality of the resulting output of SAGE. The output shall either be "open" or "confidential": Open output is passed to the sponsoring Technical Body and handled by use of the normal Technical Working Procedures. Confidential output is passed to the Director-General and released to those having need of the information, after first having received a written confidentiality undertaking.

The composition of SAGE shall be established by the Board upon a proposal put before it by the Board Chairman in consultation with the Director-General.