RFC 3602 (rfc3602) - Page 2 of 15

The AES-CBC Cipher Algorithm and Its Use with IPsec

RFC 3602        AES-CBC Cipher Algorithm Use with IPsec   September 2003


       5.4.  Hash Algorithm Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
   6.  Security Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
   7.  IANA Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
   8.  Intellectual Property Rights Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
   9.  References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
       9.1.  Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
       9.2.  Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
   10. Acknowledgments  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
   11. Authors' Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
   12. Full Copyright Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

1.  Introduction

   As the culmination of a four-year competitive process, NIST (the
   National Institute of Standards and Technology) has selected the AES
   (Advanced Encryption Standard), the successor to the venerable DES
   (Data Encryption Standard).  The competition was an open one, with
   public participation and comment solicited at each step of the
   process.  The AES [AES], formerly known as Rijndael, was chosen from
   a field of five finalists.

   The AES selection was made on the basis of several characteristics:

      +  security

      +  unclassified

      +  publicly disclosed

      +  available royalty-free, worldwide

      +  capable of handling a block size of at least 128 bits

      +  at a minimum, capable of handling key sizes of 128, 192, and
         256 bits

      +  computational efficiency and memory requirements on a variety
         of software and hardware, including smart cards

      +  flexibility, simplicity and ease of implementation

   The AES will be the government's designated encryption cipher.  The
   expectation is that the AES will suffice to protect sensitive
   (unclassified) government information until at least the next
   century.  It is also expected to be widely adopted by businesses and
   financial institutions.





Frankel, et al.             Standards Track