Daniel J. Bernstein, a well-known expert in the field of cryptography and creating secure software, which has developed such projects as Qmail, Djbdns, NaCl, ED25519, Curve25519 and Chacha20-Poly1305, am a trial against the US government related to the non-compliance with the National Institute for US standards and technologies (NIST) of the complete disclosure of information related to the standardization of cryptoalgorithms.
Bernstein’s claims relate to the current standardization of algorithms that are resistant to selection on a quantum computer. NIST does not disclose complete information about the ongoing discussions and does not fully publish the results of analysis of the resistance of the proposed algorithms. Given the interest of special services in the substitution of bookmarks, predetermined vulnerabilities and backdors in the systems claiming to be standardized, Bernstein suggested that Nist could conceal reports in which weaknesses of analyzed cryptoalgorithms were identified.
After the detection of backdor in the standardized Dual EC DRBG algorithm, developed at the US National Security Agency, NIST obliged the NIST organization to ensure the transparency of the standardization process and disclose all the concomitant information. However, all decisions on choosing algorithms continue
Take in NIST behind closed doors with the opening of only part of the information available. In accordance with the Law of Foia (Freedom of Information Act), which prescribes to transmit information on request, since 2020, Bernstein sent seven requests for opening data on the work of the Nistpqc (Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization Project), but received only not to write off and did not write off achieved.
Since the hidden information is of great public importance and it is necessary to analyze the information received from the ANB, as well as the study of the correct decision -making in NIST, Bernstein filed a claim with a request to force NIST to the publication of all records related to the work of the group Nistpqc, as well as the records of all NIST meetings and meetings with the participation of representatives of the US National Security Agency, which meets the word ‘Quantum’, regardless of their connection with the design of the standardization of post -quantum cryptography algorithms. It is noted that without a complete disclosure of all data, one can easily skip the evidence of attacks on the proposed algorithms and attempts of sabotage by attackers trying to influence the project through dummies.