In 1972, after concluding a study on the US government's computer security needs, the US standards body NBS (National Bureau of Standards)—now named NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)—identified a need for a government-wide standard for encrypting unclassified, sensitive information.
În 1972, după concluziile unui studiu asupra nevoilor de securitate pentru calculatoare a guvernului Statelor Unite, NBS (National Bureau of Standards) — acum numit NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) — a identificat necesitatea unui standard de criptare a datelor importante, nesecrete, care să fie folosit de toate statele.