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tangential: if you're worried about nsa-backdoored algorithms, instead of betting hard on one particular that you happen to judge beyond reproach, you'd be better off incorporating algorithm agility into your design (ofc in such a way that rules out downgrade attacks by construction).

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Sorry if this is a silly question, but by "algorithm agility" do you mean abstracting away the algorithm into some module?

Protocol designs that specify which algorithms to use as part of the protocol itself (conveyed through existing trust relationships, avoiding downgrade attacks), and making as many algorithms available in your software as possible (that you believe are secure; no need for crc32). Then users are able to pick which one(s) they're willing to trust, both presently and in the future (of course this preference will most likely be provided by their operating system or other packaged environment).

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