See first article (others deleted - measurment devices, medical standards, etc.) Forwarded message: Date: Mon, 23 May 1994 09:06:52 -0400 (EDT) From: NIST Public Affairs Division <MEDIA@micf.nist.gov> Subject: NIST UPDATE for 23 May 1994 To: NIST UPDATE Distribution <NIST_UPDATE@NIST.GOV> Reply-to: baum@micf.nist.gov FILE: NIST UPDATE DATE: May 23, 1994 CONTENTS: Standard Helps Users `Sign' Electronic Data [...] --------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the e-mail edition of NIST UPDATE. NIST UPDATE is a bi-weekly synopsis for journalists of current activites, research results, and program announcements from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. If you are interested in an electronic subscription to NIST UPDATE, send e-mail with your request (including the name of the news organization you represent, if you are not a free-lance writer) to: media@micf.nist.gov (Internet) or 71742,1344 (CompuServe). NIST UPDATE may also be found on the NIST gopher service: gopher-server.nist.gov --------------------------------------------------------------------- COMPUTER SECURITY Standard Helps Users `Sign' Electronic Data NIST recently announced approval of the Digital Signature Standard, which can be used to indicate that electronic messages and forms are authentic, much as handwritten signatures are used on checks, contracts and other paper documents. Many applications of the National Information Infrastructure, including electronic commerce, will benefit from the authentication service offered by digital signatures. The DSS, known as Federal Information Processing Standard 186, can be used in such areas as electronic mail, electronic funds transfer, software distribution, data storage and electronic data interchange. The government is not aware of any patents that would be infringed by this standard and will not charge royalties to those using the standard. The DSS applies to all federal departments, agencies and their contractors for the protection of unclassified information when digital signatures are required. Copies of the DSS (FIPS PUB 186) are available from the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Va. 22161, (703) 487-4650. Media Contact: Anne Enright Shepherd, (301) 975-4858 aeshep@micf.nist.gov [...] -- Stanton McCandlish * mech@eff.org * Electronic Frontier Found. OnlineActivist "In a Time/CNN poll of 1,000 Americans conducted last week by Yankelovich Partners, two-thirds said it was more important to protect the privacy of phone calls than to preserve the ability of police to conduct wiretaps. When informed about the Clipper Chip, 80% said they opposed it." - Philip Elmer-Dewitt, "Who Should Keep the Keys", TIME, Mar. 14 1994