[HIB]NIST is nearly ready to pick the next hash algorithm

Developers of the 14 semifinalist algorithms for the new SHA-3 Secure Hash Algorithm standard will have a chance to defend their work next week at the second NIST candidate conference, being held at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “We’re creating a record” on which to base selection of four to six finalists, expected to be named by the end of the year, said Bill Burr, manager of the Cryptographic Technology Group a the National Institute of Standards and Technology. “All in all we’ve got quite a bit of performance data. At this point we have a surprising amount of data on hardware implementation on all 14 candidates.” Final selection of a new standard hashing algorithm for government is expected by early 2012, although that date could slip if additional analysis is needed, Burr said.

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