Overview
ISO/IEC 4922-1:2023 - Information security - Secure multiparty computation - Part 1: General - defines a common taxonomy, terminology and processes for secure multiparty computation (MPC). The standard describes the generic model for MPC protocols that compute a function on private inputs without revealing those inputs, establishes required roles (input, computing, result parties), and sets out the core parameters and security properties needed to enable interoperability between implementations and clear communication among practitioners.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Definitions and terminology: Standardized terms such as input party, computing party, result party, multiparty protocol, circuit, arithmetic/Boolean circuit, and encoding.
- Generic model and workflow: Steps for MPC deployments - agreement on the intended function, input encoding and distribution, joint evaluation by computing parties, and decoding of encoded outputs by result parties.
- Parameters of MPC: Scope of parameters covered includes input/encoded/output spaces, number of computing parties, role restrictions, and the communication model.
- Security properties and analysis:
- Fundamental requirements: correctness and input privacy.
- Adversary model: adversary behaviour, permissible number of corruptions, computational assumptions, composition/parallel execution considerations, and network access.
- Optional properties: active-adversary resistance (correctness/input privacy), fairness, and guaranteed output delivery.
- Performance metrics: Communication complexity, computational complexity, and round complexity for comparing MPC schemes.
- Interoperability focus: Emphasis on taxonomy to enable consistent implementation and evaluation across systems.
Practical applications
ISO/IEC 4922-1:2023 is relevant wherever privacy-preserving computation is needed:
- Privacy-preserving analytics across enterprises without sharing raw data
- Secure auctions and bidding where bids remain confidential
- Distributed digital wallets and financial protocols
- Collaborative IoT use cases where multiple devices or organizations jointly compute on private data
Annex A in the standard lists possible use cases and helps map the model to real-world scenarios.
Who should use this standard
- Security architects and cryptographic protocol designers defining MPC systems
- Software vendors and cloud providers implementing privacy-preserving services
- Compliance officers and auditors assessing MPC deployments
- Researchers and standards developers working on interoperable MPC solutions
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 4922 series (terminology common across parts)
- ISO/IEC 19592 (secret sharing - referenced as relevant)
- ISO/IEC 18033 (encryption - referenced as relevant)
- Produced by ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27 (information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection)
Keywords: ISO/IEC 4922-1:2023, secure multiparty computation, MPC, privacy-preserving computation, input privacy, adversary model, communication complexity, interoperability.