Understanding FIPS 140-3, and the role these new guidelines should play in your security strategy, is absolutely crucial to protecting your organization in today’s digital landscape. But what exactly is FIPS 140-3, and how does it relate to machine identity management?
FIPS 140-3, Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 140-3, is the standard set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that outlines a benchmark of security requirements for cryptographic modules. Compliance with these guidelines will help ensure that systems, devices, and products are meeting rigorous high standards to enhance trusted communications and mitigate the risks of data breaches and security threats.
Overview of FIPS 140-3: Understanding the Basics
So what exactly are the guidelines of FIPS 140-3? To start with, it classifies cryptographic modules into four security levels. These range from Level 1, the bare minimum security requirements, to Level 4, the highest standard of security requirements. A key update to FIPS 140-3 is the added security to the validation process of modules being tested only by accredited laboratories to ensure compliance and reliability. It outlines specific requirements for cryptographic algorithms, key lengths, and all security parameters to minimize possible vulnerabilities to threats.
The main goal of FIPS 140-3 is to enhance the security of cryptographic modules that protects sensitive information across various industries. It’s meant to foster trust between users in communications, as well as digital systems and products, and address evolving threats by keeping our security standards up-to-date with changing technology.
Gathering Context: The Journey from FIPS 140-1 to FIPS 140-2
If our current guidelines for the security of cryptographic modules are FIPS 140-3, then what happened to FIPS 140-1 and FIPS 140-2? These were actually the predecessors, with FIPS 140-1 being signed into effect by the Secretary of Commerce on January 11, 1994. It required production-grade security equipment and externally tested algorithms. FIPS 140-2, which replaced its predecessor on May 25, 2001, didn’t necessarily change the focus from securing cryptographic modules. However, it did attempt to incorporate lessons learned over the years, as well as massive changes in technology. It did so by incorporating a requirement for role-based authentication, and updating the certification process.
FIPS 140-3, the current standard, became effective on September 22, 2019. It greatly increases the scope of security requirements at every stage of cryptographic module creation - design, implementation, and operational deployment.
Step-by-Step Compliance with FIPS 140-3
Complying with 140-3 is essential to ensure the security of the cryptographic modules that are protecting sensitive organizational or administrative information. Failure to do could lead not only to security risks, but also legal consequences in the form of penalties, notices, fines, and contractual liabilities. There are even some industries in which achieving FIPS 140-3 compliance is actually a requirement for conducting business, and non-compliance could lead to loss of business opportunities or reputational damage.
The full process can take anywhere from 6 - 9 months, so you’ll want to get started immediately. Here are the steps you should take to achieve compliance with FIPS 140-3:
- Understand the Requirements: Before you can implement FIPS 140-3, you have to understand it! Take the take to become familiar with the new standards and requirements, security objectives, key management practices, and other specifications relevant to securing cryptographic modules
- Gap Analysis: Once you have a clear grasp on where your organization needs to be, conduct an assessment of where you currently are. Review existing policies around cryptographic modules and practices as compared to the FIPS 140-3 requirements. This will reveal where the gaps you need to fill with new procedures to better align with it.
- Policy Development and Documentation: Now you understand what the new standards are, and what you need to do to get there. You are ready to develop new policies and procedures that reflect the FIPS 140-3 requirements. As you define new security controls and create new processes for managing cryptographic modules through their lifecycle, be sure to document everything. All new design specifications, security policies, plans for testing and monitoring, and validation reports should be written down and accessible to your entire team.
- Testing and Validation: It’s time to submit the cryptographic modules to an accredited testing laboratory for testing and validation. This new rigorous testing by a valid third-party is part of the updates from FIPS 140-2, and is crucial. The necessary reviews will likely include functional testing, algorithm testing, and a vulnerability analysis.
- Continuous Monitoring: This isn’t a “set it and forget it” functionality. You’ll need to implement regular monitoring and analysis tools to track the health of your cryptographic modules. This will allow you to stay up-to-date with any security incidents, vulnerabilities, and compliance issues that may arise and react to them in real-time.
FIPS 140-3 and Its Impact on Machine Identity Management
Following FIPS 140-3 guidelines is critical to machine identity management because of the standards it maintains for cryptographic modules, which are used in the authentication of machine identities. As we know, securing machine identities is what allows for trusted machine-to-machine communication. The integrity and reliability of these communications can only be guaranteed by adhering to FIPS 140-3 standards, as they protect against data breaches, unauthorized network access, and targeted cyber attacks. The security framework outlined in FIPS 140-3 will help organizations safeguard their machine identities, the foundation of all security strategies.
Common Challenges to Meeting FIPS 140-3 Standards
As we’ve discussed, meeting FIPS 140-3 standards is incredibly important. But that doesn’t mean that it’s easy. These are some of the most common roadblocks organizations have to FIPS 140-3 compliance, and how you can overcome them:
- Complexity of Requirements: The protocols and requirements of FIPS 140-3 are incredibly stringent, especially in comparison to the earlier iterations of FIPS 140-1 and FIPS 140-3. Many teams struggle to understand and properly implement all the cryptographic algorithms, key management needs, and physical security involved. Where possible, organizations should invest in specialized expertise and leverage some of the many pre-certified components. Additionally, clear and concise documentation made widely available will help teams more quickly get on the same page.
- Resource Constraints: Many teams lack the sheer number of resources needed to develop, test, and validate cryptographic modules up to standards of FIPS 140-3. It is extremely time-consuming to do all this while also coordinating with third-party laboratories (more on that below), and doing the meticulous documentation needed to ensure organization-wide adoption. If you’re struggling with this, try prioritizing tasks based on risk assessment. You can also leverage open-source resources and community support, and use automation to speed up your more repetitive processes.
- Vendor Support: Not only are third-party vendors expensive, but they are often the cause of delays and miscommunication. Avoid these problems from the get-go by extensively researching the third-party laboratory you’re going to work with for reliability, strong communication, and a commitment to security. Document your agreed upon service level agreements (SLAs), start out the relationship with clear and consistent communication, and create an internal contingency plan just in case the need for a new vendor arises.
- Security Risks: Cryptographic standards and security requirements are ever-changing, particularly due to an increasingly sophisticated digital threat landscape. This requires constantly staying up to date, and likely needing to continuously make changes to address current threats. You can mitigate this challenge with regular risk assessments, and ensuring security training and awareness of your entire team. When everyone is part of the solution, the challenge won’t seem as insurmountable.
The Future of Cryptographic Security Standards
FIPS 140-3 may be the latest NIST security benchmark, but it won’t be the last. How could these cryptographic standards change in the coming years? It’s likely developments in post-quantum cryptography will necessitate a shift to quantum-resistant algorithms. More support may be needed for homomorphic encryption, as well as blockchain and distributed ledger technologies. It also seems inevitable that future standards will improve upon current key management practices as the sheer volume of cryptographic keys continues to grow in order to reduce the risk of compromise.
Emerging threats and advancements in technology will always require NIST to improve upon their security benchmarks, and we all need to be ready to evolve right alongside.