Cryptographic Module Guidance

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This post is part of the Computer Security – Cryptography posts series.

The requirements in this section are intended to ensure that all entities using the cryptographic module have adequate guidance and procedures to administer and use the module in a secure manner. Guidance documentation consists of administrator and non-administrator guidance.

Administrator guidance is written material that is used by the Crypto Officer and/or other administrative roles for the correct configuration, maintenance, and administration of the cryptographic module. The administrator guidance contains information and procedures for administering the cryptographic module in a secure manner.

Administrator guidance shall specify:

• The administrative functions, security events, security parameters (and parameter values, as appropriate), physical ports, and logical interfaces of the cryptographic module available to the Crypto-Officer and/or other administrative roles.
• Procedures required to keep independent operator authentication mechanisms functionally independent.
• Procedures on how to administer the cryptographic module in a secure manner,
• Assumptions regarding User behavior that are relevant to the secure operation of the cryptographic module.

Non-administrator guidance is written material that is used by the User and/or other non-administrative roles for operating the cryptographic module in a secure manner. The non-administrator guidance describes the security functions of the cryptographic module and contains information and procedures for the secure use of the cryptographic module, including instructions, guidelines, and warnings.

Non-administrator guidance (if the User role is implemented) shall specify:

• The Approved and non-Approved security functions, physical ports, and logical interfaces available to the users of a cryptographic module.
• All User responsibilities necessary for the secure operation of a cryptographic module.



10 Responses to “Cryptographic Module Guidance”

1. Iulius says:

   What is a key in cryptography ?
2. Oly says:

   You use a key to encrypt something and a key to decrypt it.
   For symmetric encryption both keys (to encrypt and decrypt) are the same. Asymmetric encryption uses a public/private key pair. One is used to encrypt, the other to decrypt.
3. Camara says:

   The key is the code used to encrypt and decrypt something.
4. John says:

   A key is the equivalent to a password on a file, or website.Encrypting you aren’t hiding files, you just make the contents of the files unreadable.
5. Cadu says:

   what cryptography is ?
6. Artion says:

   The study of codes. It is used to encrypt phone calls, signals, and other information.
7. Roby says:

   c++ or java for cryptography ?
8. admin says:

   Many software engineers use C and c++ because exist many good cryptographic libraries in C and C++

   Java have the following advantages:

   1) It’s popular for new business and server applications.
   2) Memory management is automatically done.
   3) It provides a standard cryptographic API.
9. koalaty says:

   Which are the packages for Java cryptographic API ?
10. admin says:

    java.lang
    java.math
    java.util
    java.security.cert
    java.security
    java.security.interfaces
    java.security.cert
    java.security.spec
    javax.crypto
    javax.crypto.interfaces
    javax.crypto.spec
    PBEKey (javax.crypto.interfaces)
    MessageDigest (java.security)
    Mac (javax.crypto)
    KeyStoreSpi (java.security)
    KeyStoreException (java.security)
    KeyPairGeneratorSpi (java.security)
    KeyPair (java.security)
11. Ken says:

    interesting post
12. P. Silva says:

    a very good article about Cryptographic Module Guidance