SAVILLE is a classified
NSA
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collecti ...
Type 1 encryption algorithm
In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plaintext, into an alternative form known as ciphertext. Ideally, only authorized parties can deci ...
, developed in the late 1960s, jointly by the
Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in the UK and the
National Security Agency (NSA) in the US.
It is used broadly, often for voice encryption, and implemented in many encryption devices.
Little is known publicly about the algorithm itself due to its classified nature and inclusion in the NSA's
Suite A. Some documentation related to the
KYK-13
The KYK-13 Electronic Transfer Device is a common fill device designed by the United States National Security Agency for the transfer and loading of cryptographic keys with their corresponding check word. The KYK-13 is battery powered and uses the ...
fill device
A fill device or key loader is a module used to load cryptographic keys into electronic encryption machines. Fill devices are usually hand held and electronic ones are battery operated.
Older mechanical encryption systems, such as rotor mach ...
and statements made by military officials confirm that SAVILLE has a 128-bit key, which consists of 120 key bits and an 8-bit checksum. Furthermore, it is known that SAVILLE has two modes of operation: Autonomous Mode (also known as Key-Auto-KEY or KAK) and Autoclave Mode (also known as Cipher-Text Auto Key or CTAK).
On the
AIM microchip
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit (also referred to as an IC, a chip, or a microchip) is a set of electronic circuits on one small flat piece (or "chip") of semiconductor material, usually silicon. Large numbers of tiny ...
, it runs at 4% of the clock rate (compare
DES
Des is a masculine given name, mostly a short form (hypocorism) of Desmond. People named Des include:
People
* Des Buckingham, English football manager
* Des Corcoran, (1928–2004), Australian politician
* Des Dillon (disambiguation), sever ...
at 76% and
BATON at 129%). The
Cypris chip mentions two modes; specifications for
Windster and
Indictor specify that they provide Saville I.
Some devices and protocols that implement SAVILLE:
*
Secure Telephone Equipment (STU)
* The
VINSON
VINSON is a family of voice encryption devices used by U.S. and allied military and law enforcement, based on the NSA's classified Suite A SAVILLE encryption algorithm and 16 kbit/s CVSD audio compression. It replaces the Vietnam War-era N ...
family (voice encryption)
* UK Lamberton (BID/250)
*
APCO Project 25
Project 25 (P25 or APCO-25) is a suite of standards for interoperable digital two-way radio products. P25 was developed by public safety professionals in North America and has gained acceptance for public safety, security, public service, and com ...
(single-channel land mobile radios) (Saville has algorithm ID 04)
* Versatile encryption chips:
AIM,
Cypris,
Sierra I/II,
Windster,
Indictor,
Presidio
A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th and 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Spanish Philippines in particular, were cen ...
,
Railman
Spendex 40(also known as DBT)
References
External links
Block ciphers
Type 1 encryption algorithms
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