san francisco international group cryptography experts force u.s. national security agency back two data encryption techniques want set global industry standards reflect deep mistrust among close u.s. ally interview email see reuters academic industry experts countries include germany japan israel worry u.s. electronic spy agency push new techniques good encryption tool know break nsa agree drop powerful versions techniques least likely vulnerable hack address concern dispute play series closed-door meet around world past three years previously report turn whether international organization standards approve two nsa data encryption techniques know simon speck u.s. delegation iso encryption issue include handful nsa officials though control american standards body american national standards institute ansi presence nsa officials former nsa contractor edward snowden revelations agency penetration global electronic systems make number delegate suspicious u.s. delegation motives accord interview dozen current former delegate number voice distrust email one another see reuters write comment part process suspicions stem largely internal nsa document disclose snowden show agency previously plot manipulate standards promote technology could penetrate budget document example seek fund insert vulnerabilities commercial encryption systems dozen experts involve approval process simon speck fear nsa able crack encryption techniques would gain back door cod transmissions accord interview email document see reuters trust designers israeli delegate orr dunkelman computer science professor university haifa tell reuters cite snowden paper quite lot people nsa think job subvert standards job secure standards nsa confirm authenticity snowden document tell reuters develop new encryption tool protect sensitive u.s. government computer communications equipment without require lot computer process power nsa officials say via email want commercial technology company sell government use techniques likely happen designate global standard iso ask could beat simon speck encryption nsa officials say firmly believe secure iso independent organization delegations 162 member countries set standards everything medical package road sign work group spend years pick best practice technologies iso seal approval fight simon speck play iso twice vote delay multi-stage process approve oral write comment opponents cite lack peer-reviewed publication creators absence industry adoption clear need new cipher partial success academics show weaknesses iso delegate say much skepticism stem 2000s nsa experts invent component encryption call dual elliptic curve get adopt global standard iso approval dual ec consider success inside agency accord document pass snowden founder online news site intercept make available reuters document say agency guide dual ec proposal four iso meet emerge standard 2007 mathematicians private industry show dual ec could hide back door theoretically enable nsa eavesdrop without detection snowden leak reuters report u.s. government pay security company rsa 10 million include dual ec software development kit use programmers around world iso standards group subsequently retract endorsements dual ec nsa decline discuss case simon speck nsa say formulas need defensive purpose official lead now-disbanded nsa division responsible defense know information assurance directorate say unit develop simon speck probably legitimate question around whether cipher actually need say curtis dukes retire early year similar encryption techniques already exist need new ones theoretical say ansi body lead u.s. delegation iso say simply forward nsa proposals organization endorse unite state first introduce simon speck propose iso standard 2014 experts several countries express reservations say shin ichiro matsuo head japanese encryption delegation delegate objection chris mitchell member british delegation say support simon speck note one succeed break algorithms acknowledge though dual ec revelations trust particularly u.s. government participants standardization non-existent meet jaipur india october 2015 nsa officials american delegation push back critics question expertise witness say german delegate jaipur talk christian wenzel-benner subsequently send email seek support dozens cryptographers write seven german experts concern simon speck expect company citizens use security algorithms iso standards algorithms come source compromise security-related iso standards years ago wenzel-benner ask view help delay simon speck delegate say americans keep push october 2016 meet abu dhabi majority individual delegate approve techniques move country-by-country vote proposal fell one vote short require two-thirds majority finally march 2017 meet hamilton new zealand americans distribute 22-page explanation design summary attempt break sort paper form part delegate seek since 2014. simon speck aim respectively hardware software robust versions lightweight variants americans agree hamilton compromise drop lightweight versions opponents saw major partial victory pave way compromise another nation-by-nation poll last month sturdy versions advance final stage approval process single vote japan germany israel remain oppose final vote take place february distrustful u.s. ally force spy agency back encryption fight