From: Jim Gillogly <jim@acm.org>
Date: Mon, 13 Feb 95 17:18:00 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: What *is* the power of the FIPS
In-Reply-To: <Pine.3.89.9502131927.B13826-0100000@world.std.com>
Message-ID: <199502140117.RAA17498@mycroft.rand.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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> Peter F Cassidy <pcassidy@world.std.com> writes:
>...                          I animated the characters and campaign
> strategies in this narrative common to the clipper and DT initiatives. In 
> that, taking about Clipper I mentioned its rise as a FIPS, etc. 
> -        QUESTION: Just what is the power of the FIPS outside of the 
> interop issues in sending stuff back and forth from federal agencies?

Seems to me a FIPS is an important standard to the extent that it contains
important and useful information.  The DES FIPS 46-2 and 81 do, and
they've been widely influential.  The EES (Clipper) FIPS 185 doesn't --
it's mostly terminology to support GACK (Government Access to Crypto Keys)
-- and has been largely ignored outside of said federal agencies, so far
as I know.

	Jim Gillogly
	Mersday, 24 Solmath S.R. 1995, 01:16