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Policy 6103
ACCEPTABLE ENCRYPTION POLICY
I.
PURPOSE
The
purpose of this policy is to provide guidance that specifies when encryption can
be used and limits the use of encryption to those algorithms that have received
substantial public review and have been proven to work effectively.
Additionally, this policy provides direction to ensure that Federal regulations
are followed, and legal authority is granted for the dissemination and use of
encryption technologies outside of the
II. DEFINITIONS
Proprietary Encryption: An
algorithm that has not been made public and/or has not withstood public
scrutiny. The developer of the algorithm could be a vendor, an individual, or
the government.
Symmetric Cryptosystem: A method of encryption in which the same key is used for both encryption and decryption of the data.
Asymmetric Cryptosystem: A
method of encryption in which two different keys are used: one for encrypting
and one for decrypting the data (e.g., public-key encryption).
One-way Hash Function: An algorithm that does not require a key and produces an irreversibly encrypted cipher-text. Other names for this are message digest, fingerprint, digital signature, and compression function.
III.
files, documents, and messages data for
protection against unauthorized disclosure while in storage or in transit. Web-enabled
transactions that involve the transfer of sensitive data or the transfer of
funds must use encryption. However, any encryption performed on
University systems must meet the minimum
encryption standards and such encryption must permit properly designated
University officials, when required and authorized, (see Acceptable Use of
Technology Resources and Systems Policy #6104, Section III., D., "Responsibility
to Investigate Possible Misuse") to obtain and use the encryption key(s)
to decrypt the information.
Proven, standard algorithms such as DES, Blowfish, RSA, RC5 and IDEA should be used as the basis for encryption technologies. These algorithms represent the actual cipher used for an approved application. For example, Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) uses a combination of IDEA and RSA or Diffie-Hillman, while Secure Socket Layer (SSL) uses RSA encryption.
The use of proprietary encryption
algorithms is not allowed for any purpose, unless reviewed by qualified experts
outside of the vendor in question and approved by the Information Security
Office. Be aware that the export of
encryption technologies is restricted by the U.S. Government. Residents of
countries other than the
Approved by the Board of Visitors, March 20, 2004.
Revised, April 1, 2005.