Meeting Announcement
Draft 64-bit Software Key Escrow Encryption Export Criteria

On December 5, 1995, the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will sponsor a meeting to discuss proposed exportability criteria (11/95 version) for 64-bit software key escrow encryption. This meeting continues the industry- government dialog of an earlier NIST-sponsored meeting held in September. At that meeting, officials of the U.S. Interagency Working Group on Encryption and Telecommunications (IWG/ET) met with industry representatives and other interested parties to discuss an initial draft of these criteria. In response to comments received, the criteria have been revised with the intent of achieving commercial acceptance within the flexibility permitted by law enforcement and national security constraints.

Changes to the proposed criteria have been made, and a new draft is now available for public review and comment.

At the upcoming meeting, representatives from the IWG/ET will discuss the draft criteria and answer related questions. Time will follow for industry representatives and other interested parties to comment on the criteria. Also, breakout sessions will be held to discuss each criterion in greater detail. At a minimum, Government representatives are scheduled to attend from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, National Security Council, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the National Security Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 5, 1995 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at NIST in Gaithersburg, Maryland in the Red Auditorium of the Administration Building. Please register via e-mail (to elaine.frye@nist.gov ) or via fax (301-948-1784) before November 30, 1995. To register, please provide: 1) your name, 2) organization, 3) postal address, 4) phone, 5) fax number and 6) e-mail address. Alternatively, walk-up registration will be available on-site the day of the meeting.

Directions from Washington, DC: from the Beltway (I-495) take I-270 North to Exit 10 (Clopper Road). At the first traffic light (Bureau Drive), turn left into the main entrance to NIST. Follow signs to the Administration Building parking lot. The receptionist at the entrance to the Administration Building can provide directions to the Red Auditorium.

If you would like to make a presentation with your comments on the proposed criteria, you are asked to contact Elaine Frye at NIST via e-mail at elaine.frye@nist.gov or via telephone on 301- 975-2819 by November 30, 1995. The number of presentations as well as their length may be limited. Presenters (and others wishing to distribute material) are asked to bring 250 (attendance estimate) copies of their presentations to the meeting.

11/6/95