What is FIPS PUB 140-1?
(top) “FIPS PUB” is an abbreviation for Federal Information Processing Standards Publication and “140-1” designates a standard entitled “Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules”. It was produced by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to lay out general requirements for cryptographic modules within computer and telecommunication systems. A cryptographic module is defined as any combination of hardware, firmware, or software that implements cryptographic functions such as encryption, decryption, digital signatures, authentication techniques and random number generation. The FIPS PUB 140-1 Security requirements cover 11 areas related to the design and implementation of a cryptomodule. Within most areas, a cryptomodule receives a security level rating (1-4, from lowest to highest), depending on what requirements are met.
