IP: Exports Approved for Non-Recoverable Encryption with

[David Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Date: Sat, 10 May 1997 15:25:42 -0400
From: denning () cs georgetown edu (Dorothy Denning)


Dave,


for IP.


Dorothy
---------


Exports Approved for Non-Recoverable Encryption with Unlimited Key
Lengths for Financial Transactions


The Department of Commerce announced May 8 that it will allow export of
non-recoverable encryption products of unlimited key length for products
that are specifically designed for financial transactions, including
home banking.  They will also allow exports, for two years, of
non-recoverable general-purpose commercial products of unlimited key
length when used for interbank and similar financial transactions, once
the manufacturers file a commitment to develop recoverable products.
Export licenses will be granted after a one-time product review.


This represents a further liberalization of the regulations adopted in
December 1996, which allow exports of commercial products with 56-bits
for two years once the manufacturers file a plan to develop key
recovery.  The May 8 regulations allow those same products to be used
for financial transactions at unlimited key lengths without ever using
key recovery.  The reason for not requiring key recovery with financial
transactions is that banks and other financial institutions are legally
required and have demonstrated a consistent ability to provide access to
transaction information in response to authorized law enforcement
requests.


The press statement should appear on the Commerce Department web
site soon: http://www.bxa.doc.gov/encstart.htm.


Dorothy Denning