Identifiers have been officially assigned for the use of Russian cryptoalgorithms in the TLS protocol. Based on descriptions of the use of Russian cryptography in the TLS protocol, identifiers were assigned to digraphs, elliptic curves, signature algorithms, and hashing.
Until now, numbers from the so-called Private area, intended for experimental implementations, were used for Russian algorithms. This resulted in objections when Russian cryptography was added to various software. The assignment of permanent numbers opens up new prospects for the use of Russian cryptography on the internet. In particular, it increases the likelihood that Russian cryptoalgorithms can be used in foreign software, both in open (OpenSSL, GNUTLS) and proprietary software. With the addition of such support, the popularity of algorithms will increase.
Russian standards of cryptography, covering the range of needs from encryption to electronic signatures, have been developed since the Soviet era – they are known to all as GOSTs. Today, GOSTs adopted in 2012-2015 are operating in Russia, but their use in international communications is extremely limited, primarily due to the lack of support in popular browsers. Domestic cryptography is mainly supported by Russian browsers (Yandex Browser, Sputnik and some commercial implementations). In addition, the problem of recognizing certificates from Russian certification authorities at the international level has not been resolved, which also significantly limits the distribution of GOSTs. All this, coupled with the peculiarities of the regulation, led to the fact that Russian cryptography was used on a limited basis and only where its use was strictly prescribed.
When embedding Russian cryptography, it is necessary to register algorithm identifiers in the uniform international registries maintained by the IANA. This is necessary so the identifiers used throughout the world mean the same thing everywhere. Registration requires a description of national standards in English, and the generally accepted format for such a description is the IETF document, the so-called Information RFC.
“The long-term efforts by Russian technical specialists on international sites have yielded fruit. The principle of “let a hundred flowers bloom” is necessary for international cooperation, and the registration of identifiers of domestic cryptographic algorithms is a very important result. We are part of the big world, and the peaceful expansion of Russia in the international arena is very important. We will continue to participate in international standardization processes, and the contribution of the Russian cryptographic school will become more noticeable,” said Andrey Vorobyev, director of the Coordination Center for TLD /.RU/.РФ.
