Topic

Using Rivest-Shamir-Adleman

Applicable to

all

History

Priority

must

Mar 2022

When using RSA for digital signatures, and for passing encryption session keys or similar keys, a different key pair is used for digital signatures and passing encrypted session keys.

Miscellaneous changes were made to rationale and recommendations throughout the publication to clarify content without changing intent. This included a review from the Guidelines for System Hardening chapter through to the Guidelines for Data Transfers chapter.

Dec 2021

When using RSA for digital signatures, and for passing encryption session keys or similar keys, a key pair for passing encrypted session keys that is different from the key pair used for digital signatures is used.

Miscellaneous changes were made to rationale and security controls throughout the publication. This included:

• A review from the Using the Information Security Manual chapter through to the Guidelines for Media chapter.

• Security controls suitable for all audiences have been identified with the ‘All’ applicability marking while additional security controls suitable for just government audiences have been identified with the O, P, S and TS applicability markings.

• Security controls suitable for specific classifications have been amended to include their classification(s) in the wording of the security controls to reduce the reliance on applicability markings to confer suitability.

• Tables in security controls have been converted into prose to allow for inclusion in the SSP annex template and the XML list of security controls.

• The use of ‘official’ and ‘highly classified’ terminology has been replaced with specific classifications to remove ambiguity.

• Security controls relating to high assurance ICT equipment have had their applicability narrowed to ‘S, TS’ reflecting that they are intended for the protection of SECRET and TOP SECRET systems and data.

2015

Agencies using RSA, both for the approved use of digital signatures and for passingencryption session keys or similar keys, must ensure that the key pair used for passingencrypted session keys is different from the key pair used for digital signatures.

2010

Agencies using RSA, for the approved use of digital signatures and passing encryption session keys orsimilar keys, must ensure that the public keys used for passing encrypted session keys are different tothe keys used for digital signatures.

2008

Agencies using RSA, for the approved use of digital signatures and passing encryption session keys or similar keys, must ensure the public keys used for passing encrypted session keys are different to the keys used for digital signatures.