RFC 7696 · BEST CURRENT PRACTICE · 2015

Guidelines for Cryptographic Algorithm Agility and Selecting Mandatory-to-Implement Algorithms

Overview

RFC 7696, “Guidelines for Cryptographic Algorithm Agility and Selecting Mandatory-to-Implement Algorithms”, is a Best Current Practice document published in November 2015 by R. Housley. The canonical text is published by the RFC Editor.

Abstract

Many IETF protocols use cryptographic algorithms to provide confidentiality, integrity, authentication, or digital signature. Communicating peers must support a common set of cryptographic algorithms for these mechanisms to work properly. This memo provides guidelines to ensure that protocols have the ability to migrate from one mandatory-to-implement algorithm suite to another over time.

Abstract as published in the RFC, via rfc-editor.org.

What “Best Current Practice” means

Documents the IETF community's recommended operational or procedural practice rather than a protocol specification.

Read this RFC

The canonical text of RFC 7696 is hosted at rfc-editor.org. Available in TXT,HTML.

Other RFCs from 2015

Who Is Online

In total there are 146 users online: 0 registered, 140 guests and 6 bots.

Most users ever online was 1,226 on 13 Jun 2026, 3:56 am.

Bots: AhrefsBot Applebot Bingbot Other Bot SemrushBot Sogou

Users active in the past 15 minutes. Total registered members: 354