The Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) is a joint effort between NIST's Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) of the Government of Canada. The original basis of the program was Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-1, Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules, and NIST’s cryptographic algorithm standards. The program now continues with the recently signed successor standard, FIPS 140-2. Products validated as conforming to FIPS 140-2 are accepted by the federal agencies of both countries for the protection of sensitive information. Vendors of cryptographic modules use independent, National Voluntary Accreditation Program (NVLAP)-accredited testing laboratories to test their modules. ITL's Computer Security Division and CSE jointly serve as the signature authorities for the program, validating the test results.
The underlying philosophy of the CMVP is that the user community needs strong, independently tested, and commercially available cryptographic products, and that the CMVP must work with the commercial sector and the cryptographic community to achieve security, interoperability, and assurance. The program validates a wide variety of modules including general encryption products, secure radios, Virtual Private Network (VPN) devices, Internet browsers, cryptographic tokens, and modules that support Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). Currently, validation services are provided for FIPS 140-2, the Data Encryption Standard (DES and Triple DES), the Digital Signature Standard, the Secure Hash Standard, and the Skipjack Algorithm.
The CMVP offers a documented methodology for conformance testing through a defined set of security requirements in FIPS 140-2 and other cryptographic standards. NIST developed the standard and an associated metric (the Derived Test Requirements for FIPS 140-2) to ensure repeatability of tests and equivalency in results across the testing laboratories. The five commercial laboratories provide vendors of cryptographic modules a choice of testing facilities and promote healthy competition.
Cryptographic products validated under this program offer federal agencies, industry, and the public confidence and assurance that a cryptographic product meets a claimed level of security. As of August 1, 2001, the CMVP has issued over 160 validation certificates representing over 175 individual modules from nearly 50 large and small information technology vendors. The number of validated modules approximately doubles annually. The CMVP has become perhaps the first formal security-testing program to have a major effect on mainstream commercial products. For example, the major web browser products now offer CMVP validated cryptographic modules. Federal agencies and business users of cryptography are embracing the CMVP and requiring validated products, while the IT industry accepts CMVP validation as a mark of quality that the commercial market now requires.
The CMVP’s most recent major accomplishment is the development of FIPS 140-2, which was signed on May 25, 2001, by the Secretary of Commerce. This project was originally scheduled as a six-month effort to update FIPS 140-1 (the predecessor document), but was re-scoped as a major two-year overhaul of the standard. FIPS 140-1 has been widely recognized as the "defacto" standard for cryptographic modules and is referenced and/or used in its entirety by numerous standards bodies and international testing organizations. Therefore, the team gave great care to the development process beginning with a complete "line by line" review and examination of the standard and all Implementation Guidance issued during the initial five years of FIPS 140-1. FIPS 140-2 includes lessons learned from questions and comments, reflects changes in technology, and strengthens the standard, but does not change the focus or emphasis.
The team also took the opportunity to improve the format of the standard by restructuring the content, standardizing the language and terminology to add clarity and consistency, removing redundant and extraneous information to make the standard more concise, and revising or removing vague requirements. Additionally, FIPS 140-2 had two separate public calls for comments providing literally hundreds of suggestions from around the world, which were addressed and analyzed by the team for incorporation in the standard. The end result is a stronger, more concise, and readable standard that still embodies the spirit of the original and is now structured and poised to enter the international standards arena.
The CMVP team headed a government and industry (national and international) working group, composed of both users and vendors, to develop the underlying requirements of FIPS 140-2. The working group identified eleven areas of security requirements with four increasing levels of security for cryptographic modules. The security levels allow for a wide spectrum of data sensitivity (e.g., million-dollar funds transfers, health data, and low-value administrative data) and a diversity of application environments (e.g., a guarded facility, an office, and a completely unprotected location). Each security level offers an increase in security over the preceding level. The four security levels allow users to choose cost-effective solutions that are appropriate for different degrees of data sensitivity and different application environments. This structure also allows great flexibility when specifying or identifying users needs. The standard provides users with:
There are immediate plans for the acceptance of FIPS 140-2 as an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard and more far-reaching plans with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). In addition to forming the basis of the CMVP, FIPS 140-2 defines a framework and methodology for NIST's current and future cryptographic standards. The CMVP directly supports NIST and ITL missions by developing standards, metrics, and guidance, and by fostering new businesses and product quality. For more information, see http://csrc.nist.gov/cryptval.
UPDATE ON NEW PUBLICATIONS
Design of a File Format for Logging Website Information
By J. Cugini and S. Laskowski
NIST Special Publication 500-248
April 2001
Available online at http://www.itl.nist.gov/iaui/vvrg/cugini/webmet/flud/design-paper.html
This paper proposes a format for the representation of user interaction with a website. A widely accepted format enables the development of a set of software tools to process the data, facilitates the sharing of data sets for longer-term analysis and research, and provides a common language for expressing user interaction with a website.
PBX Vulnerability Analysis
By D.R. Kuhn
NIST Special Publication 800-24
April 2001
SN003-003-03684-6 $8.50
Order from GPO
This report presents a generic methodology for conducting an analysis of a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) in order to identify security vulnerabilities. The report focuses on digital-based PBXs and addresses the following areas for study: system architecture, hardware, maintenance, administrative database/software, and user features. The methods described in the report are designed to assist administrators in conducting this type of testing.
Engineering Principles for Information Technology (IT) Security
By G.R. Stoneburner, C. Hayden, and A.
Feringa
NIST Special Publication 800-27
June 2001
Available online at http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/index.html
This document presents a list of system-level security principles to be considered in the design, development, and operation of an information system. The principles introduced can be applied to general support systems and major applications. The document presents principles that apply to all systems, not ones tied to specific technology areas. These principles provide a foundation upon which a more consistent and structured approach to the design, development, and implementation of IT security capabilities can be constructed.
A Comparison of the Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules in FIPS 140-1 and FIPS 140-2
By S.R. Snouffer, A. Lee, and A.E. Oldehoeft
NIST Special Publication 800-29
June 2001
SN003-003-03696-0
Order from GPO
This paper summarizes the changes from FIPS 140-1 to FIPS 140-2 and documents the detailed requirements. Cryptographic modules are implemented in products and systems to provide cryptographic services such as confidentiality, integrity, non-repudiation and identification and authentication. A documented methodology for conformance testing through a defined set of security requirements in FIPS 140-1&2 and other cryptographic standards is specified in the Derived Test Requirements.
Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Electronic Book 2000 Conference and Show
V.R. McCrary, Linda McGee, and Mary Floyd,
Editors
NISTIR 6554
September 2000
PB2000-108035 $47.00 paper
Order from NTIS $23.00 microfiche
This report constitutes the proceedings of the Electronic Book 2000 Conference and Show held September 25-27, 2000, co-sponsored by NIST and the National Information Standards Organization (NISO).
Digital Cinema 2001 Conference Proceedings
By C. Fenimore and M. Floyd
NISTIR 6591
January 2001
PB2001-102383 $36.00 paper
Order from NTIS $17.00 microfiche
This document presents the proceedings of Digital Cinema 2001 Conference and Expo, held January 11-12, 2001, at NIST.
Proceedings of the 2nd Annual Digital TV Application Software Environment (DASE) Symposium 2001: End-to-End data Services, Interoperability & Applications
By A. Mink and W.J. Salamon
NISTIR 6740
June 2001
PB2001-106353 $67.50 paper
Order from NTIS $25.50 microfiche
This document presents the proceedings of the 2nd Annual DASE Symposium, held June 19-20, 2001, at NIST.
Registering 3D Point Clouds: An Experimental Evaluation
By C.J. Witzgall and G.S. Cheok
NISTIR 6743
May 2001
PB2001-105725 $27.00 paper
Order from NTIS $12.00 microfiche
This report addresses ongoing work on a problem of registering point clouds gathered by laser scans of terrains and objects. The approach studied here uses residual-based distance reduction of point clouds from elevated TIN surfaces without the use of targets. The report concluded that the task of registering separate spatial data sets would typically require a combination of different approaches.
The Apex Method in Image Sharpening and the Use of Low Exponent Levy Stable Laws
By A.S. Carasso
NISTIR 6749
May 2001
PB2001-106383 $25.50 paper
Order from NTIS $12.00 microfiche
This paper describes the successful use of the APEX method in sharpening a wide variety of real blurred images, as opposed to synthetically blurred images. The APEX method is an FFT-based direct blind deconvolution technique that can process complex high-resolution imagery in a few minutes of cpu time on current desktop platforms.
UPCOMING TECHNICAL CONFERENCES
Second Modes of Operation Workshop
This workshop will aid NIST in developing a standard or guideline for modes of operation of symmetric key block ciphers that is secure and responsive to the needs of government, industry, and the public.
Date: August 24, 2001
Place: Goleta, California
Sponsor: NIST
Contact: Morris Dworkin, 301/975-2354,
morris.dworkin@nist.gov
Website: http://csrc.nist.gov/encryption/modes/
Biometric Consortium BC2001 Conference
This conference will examine advances in biometric technologies and applications and will explore new developments in the areas of metrology, assurance, and standards. Biometrics integration with information technology products will also be addressed.
Dates: September 12-14, 2001
Place: Orlando, Florida
Sponsors: NIST and the National Security
Agency (NSA)
Contact: Fernando Podio, 301/975-2947,
fernando.podio@nist.gov
Website: http://www.itl.nist.gov/div895/isis/bc2001/BC2001Home.htm
Key Management Workshop
This workshop will address the development of a Key Establishment Schemes document and a Key Management Guidance document. Details of the workshop are also provided on the key management website (http://www.nist.gov/kms), along with a background of the project, a report from the first workshop that was held in February 2000, and a white paper that describes the intended content of the documents. These documents will be made available for review on the key management website at least one month prior to the workshop.
Dates: November 1-2, 2001
Place: NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Contact: Elaine Barker, 301/975-2911,
elaine.barker@nist.gov
Electronic Book 2001
This fourth annual conference will discuss the latest trends, technologies, and standards for electronic books. The conference theme is "Applications, Authors, and Accessibility."
Dates: November 5-7, 2001
Place: Washington, DC
Sponsors: NIST and the National Information
Standards Organization (NISO)
Contact: Victor McCrary, 301/975-4321,
victor.mccrary@nist.gov
Website: http://www.itl.nist.gov/div895/ebook2001/
National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) Training Courses
The website is http://niap.nist.gov.
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Disclaimer: Any mention of commercial products or reference to commercial organizations is for information only; it does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology nor does it imply that the products mentioned are necessarily the best available for the purpose.