Users Guide

FIPS Cryptography

Federal information processing standard (FIPS) cryptography provides cryptographic algorithms conforming to various FIPS standards

published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a non-regulatory agency of the US Department of Commerce.

FIPS mode is also validated for numerous platforms to meet the FIPS-140-2 standard for a software-based cryptographic module.

This chapter describes how to enable FIPS cryptography requirements on Dell Networking platforms.

NOTE: The Dell Networking OS uses an embedded FIPS 140-2-validated cryptography module (Certicate #1747) running on

NetBSD 5.1 per FIPS 140-2 Implementation Guidance section G.5 guidelines.

NOTE: Only the following features use the embedded FIPS 140-2-validated cryptography module:

• SSH Client

• SSH Server

• RSA Host Key Generation

• SCP File Transfers

Currently, other features using cryptography do not use the embedded FIPS 140-2-validated cryptography module.

Topics:

• Conguration Tasks

• Preparing the System

• Enabling FIPS Mode

• Generating Host-Keys

• Monitoring FIPS Mode Status

• Disabling FIPS Mode

Conguration Tasks

To enable FIPS cryptography, complete the following conguration tasks.

• Preparing the System

• Enabling FIPS Mode

• Generating Host-Keys

• Monitoring FIPS Mode Status

• Disabling FIPS Mode

Preparing the System

Before you enable FIPS mode, Dell Networking recommends making the following changes to your system.

1 Disable the Telnet server (only use secure shell [SSH] to access the system).

2 Disable the FTP server (only use secure copy [SCP] to transfer les to and from the system).

3 Attach a secure, standalone host to the console port for the FIPS conguration to use.

266 FIPS Cryptography