This notice announces that the Secretary of Commerce has approved the withdrawal of ten Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Among them is FIPS 113, Computer Data Authentication.

These FIPS are being withdrawn because they are obsolete, or have not been updated to adopt current voluntary industry standards, federal specifications, federal data standards, or current good practices for information security. Some of these FIPS adopt voluntary industry standards. Federal agencies and departments are directed by the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-113) to use technical standards that are developed in voluntary consensus standards bodies. Consequently, FIPS that duplicate voluntary industry standards are no longer needed.

Some of these FIPS adopt data standards that are developed and used by other Federal government agencies. These FIPS have not been updated to reflect changes and modifications that have been made to the data standards. The remaining FIPS adopt obsolete Federal specifications for information access and for information security. More recent advisory guidance has been issued concerning access to publicly available government information and computer data authentication. Federal agencies are responsible for using current voluntary industry standards and current federal specifications and data standards in their acquisition and management activities.