Locate the cryptographic operation
Identify what encrypts the package at the sender, service and destination.
FIPS 140-3 · File-transfer cryptography
FIPS 140-3 review for file transfer cryptography
An encryption algorithm name cannot identify the module protecting a transfer. Ask for the module certificate, version and operating conditions, then match them to the proposed deployment.
Verify the module details
Compare the certificate and security policy with the component that actually performs the operation.
Test the proposed configuration
Ask how the deployment enables the approved mode and what falls outside the module boundary.
Trace encryption across the route
Mark each cryptographic operation on a diagram and identify the implementation responsible for it.
Sending environment
Identify the client, endpoint and cryptographic implementation used to establish the connection.
Service environment
Identify where connections terminate and what protects stored information, where applicable.
Receiving environment
Check how the recipient obtains the file and which protections apply after delivery.
Confirm the actual architecture. This diagram is not an MX product specification.
Match the certificate to deployment
Check the module version and operating environment against the validation evidence. Record any differences for review.
| Evidence area | What to establish |
|---|---|
| Identity and version | Match the module name and version to the provider’s evidence. A product name or encryption-algorithm label does not identify the validated module. |
| Status and scope | Check the current certificate status and relevant caveats in the CMVP record. Ask the vendor to explain how the validation applies to the proposed deployment. |
| Operating conditions | Review the module’s security policy, operating environment and approved-mode requirements. Confirm how those conditions are established and maintained. |
| Changes over time | Agree how upgrades and configuration changes trigger a review. Retain the evidence linking the deployed version to the relevant validation. |
Ask for evidence at the right level
Distinguish the algorithm, validated module and complete service when documenting the procurement decision.
“It uses AES”
An algorithm name does not establish module validation. Ask which implementation performs the operation and request the relevant CMVP evidence.
“It has a FIPS certificate”
Check what the certificate covers. Match the module, version, environment and conditions to the service you will actually use.
“It is in an approved mode”
Request the configuration evidence and applicable security-policy instructions. Confirm that relevant operations use the approved services under the required conditions.
Bring the requirement.
Request the evidence.
Discuss your intended file-transfer architecture with MX. Ask for the cryptographic implementation details needed by your security and procurement teams.
Review your module requirementsQuestions for
your review.
Does FIPS 140-3 validate an entire file-sharing service?
The CMVP validates cryptographic modules. A module’s validation does not, by itself, establish that an entire service satisfies every security or contractual requirement.
Is MX claimed to use a validated FIPS 140-3 module here?
No. This page does not assert a particular module, certificate or approved configuration for MX. Request evidence for the exact proposed service before making that determination.
Is algorithm validation the same as module validation?
No. An algorithm implementation and a cryptographic module are evaluated under different validation programs. Check the module’s CMVP record rather than treating an algorithm claim as sufficient.
How does this differ from the general FIPS page?
The general overview introduces the broader FIPS context. This page focuses on tracing cryptographic-module evidence through a proposed file-transfer deployment.