If you’re working on a software project that needs to adhere to the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS), you’ll need to ensure that your Java application is compliant as well. FIPS compliance ensures that your application provides a secure environment for processing sensitive information. In this blog post, we will explore how to achieve FIPS compliance in Java JCE (Java Cryptography Extension).

What is Java JCE?

Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) is a framework included in the Java Development Kit (JDK) that provides a set of APIs for various cryptographic operations such as encryption, decryption, hashing, and digital signatures. By default, JCE uses the standard cryptographic algorithms available in the JDK.

Enabling FIPS-compliant Cryptographic Algorithms

To achieve FIPS-compliant cryptography in Java JCE, you’ll need to replace the default cryptographic provider with a FIPS-compliant provider. A popular choice is Bouncy Castle FIPS. Here’s how you can enable FIPS-compliant cryptographic algorithms in your Java application:

1. Download the Bouncy Castle FIPS provider JAR file from their official website.
2. Include the JAR file in your Java project’s classpath.

Configuring Java Security

To enable the FIPS-compliant provider in Java, you’ll need to configure the Java security properties. You can do this by creating a file named java.security in your JDK installation directory’s lib/security directory. Add the following lines to the file:

security.provider.1=sun.security.provider.Sun
security.provider.2=org.bouncycastle.jcajce.provider.BouncyCastleFipsProvider
security.provider.3=sun.security.rsa.SunRsaSign
security.provider.4=sun.security.ec.SunEC
security.provider.5=com.sun.crypto.provider.SunJCE
security.provider.6=sun.security.jgss.SunProvider
security.provider.7=com.sun.security.sasl.Provider

security.provider.8=org.bouncycastle.jcajce.provider.BouncyCastleFipsProvider
security.provider.9=org.bouncycastle.jsse.provider.BouncyCastleJsseProvider

Save the java.security file and restart your Java application for the changes to take effect.

Testing FIPS Compliance

To ensure that your Java application is indeed using FIPS-compliant cryptographic algorithms, you can run a simple test. Execute the following code snippet to check the providers that are available and verify that Bouncy Castle FIPS is being used:

import java.security.Provider;
import java.security.Security;

public class FIPSTest {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Provider[] providers = Security.getProviders();
        for (Provider provider : providers) {
            System.out.println(provider.getName());
        }
    }
}

Run the above code, and you should see BCFIPS as one of the providers listed. This indicates that the Bouncy Castle FIPS provider is active and FIPS-compliant algorithms are in use.

Conclusion

Achieving FIPS compliance in Java JCE involves replacing the default cryptographic provider with a FIPS-compliant provider like Bouncy Castle FIPS. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can ensure that your Java application meets the necessary security standards and provides a secure environment for processing sensitive information.

#FIPS #JavaJCE