escrowed encryption standard (EES)

The Escrowed Encryption Standard (EES) is a standard for a symmetric encryption method. The EES algorithm was developed by the National Security Agency( NSA) in the 1990s and published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology( NIST). A key feature of the EES standard is the method of key escrow.

The algorithm used by the EES standard for encryption and decryption is known as Skipjack. The encryption works with two keys that are required by the users to exchange data. Encryption can be applied to voice transmissions, fax, data and files.

With EES encryption, agencies authorized by the U.S. government can intercept transmissions under certain circumstances.