Configuring Fips; Overview; Configuration Restrictions And Guidelines - HP VSR1000 Security Configuration Manual

Configuring FIPS

Overview

Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) was developed by the National Institute of Standard
and Technology (NIST) of the United States. FIPS specifies the requirements for cryptographic modules.
FIPS 140-2 defines four levels of security, named "Level 1" to "Level 4", from low to high. The device
supports Level 2.
Unless otherwise noted, in this document the term "FIPS" refers to FIPS 140-2.

Configuration restrictions and guidelines

When you configure FIPS, follow these restrictions and guidelines:
• After the fips mode enable command is executed, the system prompts you to choose a reboot
method. If you do not make a choice within 30 seconds, the system uses the manual reboot method.
Before you reboot the device to enter FIPS mode, the system automatically removes all key pairs
•
configured in non-FIPS mode and all FIPS-incompliant digital certificates. FIPS-incompliant digital
certificates are MD5-based certificates with the modulus length of key pairs less than 2048 bits. You
cannot log in to the device through SSH after the device enters FIPS mode. To log in to the device
in FIPS mode through SSH, first log in to the device through a console port, and then create a key
pair for the SSH server.
The password for entering the device in FIPS mode must comply with the password control policies,
•
such as password length, complexity, and aging policy. When the aging timer for a password
expires, the system prompts you to change the password. If you adjust the system time after the
device enters FIPS mode, the login password might expire before the next login because the
original system time is typically much earlier than the actual time. If you choose the automatic
reboot method, set the system time before executing the fips mode enable command. If you choose
the manual reboot method, set the system time before configuring the local username and
password.
To use the manual reboot method to enter FIPS mode, you must delete the startup configuration file
•
in binary format after you save the current configuration and specify it as the startup configuration
file, and then reboot the device. Otherwise, the commands that are not supported by FIPS mode, if
they are in the configuration file, are restored.
The system enters an intermediate state between when the fips mode enable command is executed
•
and when the system is rebooted. If you choose the manual reboot method, do not execute any
commands except for the reboot, save, and other commands for entering FIPS mode in the
intermediate state.
• Configuration rollback is supported in FIPS mode and it is also supported between FIPS mode and
non-FIPS mode. After a configuration rollback between FIPS mode and non-FIPS mode, delete the
local user, configure a new local user (local user attributes including password, user role, and
service type), save the current configuration file, specify it as the startup configuration file, and
reboot the device. The new configuration takes effect after the reboot. During this process, do not
exit the system or perform other operations.
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