FIPS compliance

Federal Information Processing Standard Publication (FIPS), outlines security requirements for cryptographic modules used by the US government and its contractors to protect sensitive and valuable information. It categorizes the level of security provided by these modules, ranging from level 1 to level 4, with each level having progressively stringent security measures.

The FIPS mode within OpenStack verifies that its cryptographic algorithms and modules strictly conform to approved standards. This is crucial for several reasons:

• Regulatory compliance

  Many government agencies and industries dealing with sensitive data, such as finance and healthcare, require FIPS-140 compliance as a regulatory mandate. Ensuring compliance enables organizations to operate within legal boundaries and meet industry standards.

• Data security

  FIPS-140 compliance ensures a higher level of security for cryptographic functions, protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access and manipulation. FIPS-compliant environments have a high level of security for data encryption, digital signatures, and the integrity of communication channels.

• Interoperability

  FIPS-140 compliance can enhance interoperability by ensuring that systems and cryptographic modules across different platforms or vendors meet a standard set of security requirements. This is essential, especially in multi-cloud or interconnected environments.

OpenStack API

Available since MOSK 23.3

MOSK ensures that the user-to-cloud communications are always protected in compliance with FIPS 140-2. The capability is implemented as an SSL/TLS proxy injected into MOSK underlying Kubernetes ingress networking and performs the data encryption using a FIPS-validated cryptographic module.