What key size is used by the Clipper Chip?

The correct answer is D. 80 bits. The Clipper Chip was a cryptographic chipset developed by the NSA and promoted by the U.S. government in the early 1990s for use in telecommunications. It implemented the Skipjack algorithm using an 80-bit key. The chip was controversial primarily because it included a key escrow

Submitted by olafpl· Apr 18, 2026Cryptography

Question

Options

A40 bits
B56 bits
C64 bits
D80 bits

How the community answered

(32 responses)

A
6% (2)
B
3% (1)
C
3% (1)
D
88% (28)

Explanation

The Clipper Chip was a cryptographic chipset developed by the NSA and promoted by the U.S. government in the early 1990s for use in telecommunications. It implemented the Skipjack algorithm using an 80-bit key. The chip was controversial primarily because it included a key escrow mechanism called the Law Enforcement Access Field (LEAF), which allowed government agencies with a court order to decrypt communications. The 80-bit key was considered strong enough at the time, but the key escrow feature and concerns about government backdoors led to widespread opposition and eventual abandonment of the initiative.

Topics

#Clipper Chip#Key Size#Cryptography#Hardware Encryption

Community Discussion

No community discussion yet for this question.

Full SSCP Practice