Validating Cryptographic Algorithms to FIPS 140-2

By _Rambus Blog

June 19, 2019

NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is a United States Department of Commerce agency tasked with both the creation and maintenance of a country-wide measurement infrastructure. From their website: “From the smart electric power grid and electronic health records to atomic clocks, advanced nanomaterials, and computer chips, innumerable products and services rely in some way on technology, measurement, and standards provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Today, NIST measurements support the smallest of technologies to the largest and most complex of human-made creations—from nanoscale devices so tiny that tens of thousands can fit on the end of a single human hair up to earthquake-resistant skyscrapers and global communication networks.”

In 1995, NIST established a method for testing and validating cryptographic algorithms such as Rambus’ Crypto Accelerators and DPA Resistant Cores. Called the Cryptographic Algorithm Validation Program (CAVP), it provides validation testing of FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards)-approved and NIST-recommended cryptographic algorithms and their individual components. Once successfully tested and validated, NIST adds this information to their publicly-available validation list.

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