Topic

Using the Digital Signature Algorithm

Applicable to

Official, Protected

History

Mar 2024

Removed

The existing controls relating to the use of DSA have been rescinded, as has its status as an AACA, following the recent withdrawal of Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 186-4 by the United States’ National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). [ISM-0473, ISM-1630, ISM-1760]

Mar 2022

When using DSA for digital signatures, a modulus and associated parameters are generated according to FIPS 186-4.

While existing recommendations for the use of ASD-Approved Cryptographic Algorithms to protect OFFICIAL through to PROTECTED data addressed minimum key lengths, they didn’t address recommended key lengths.

Dec 2021

When using DSA for digital signatures, a modulus and associated parameters are generated according to FIPS 186-4.

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.

Dec 2020

When using DSA for digital signatures, a modulus and associated parameters are generated according to FIPS 186-4.

Security control 1630 was introduced to recommend the use of FIPS 186-4 for the generation of a modulus and associated parameters when using DSA for digital signatures.