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The world's simplest, most secure service mesh, now FIPS-ready
Need a FIPS-compliant service mesh? Buoyant provides a distribution of Linkerd that meets strict federal government cybersecurity requirements of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) FIPS 140-2 and FIPS-140-3 standards. Our FIPS-ready Linkerd service mesh gives government institutions and those doing business with them the option to conform to FedRAMP certification, and implements cryptographic modules that have been validated by NIST.
Linkerd's security-first posture
Linkerd has been built for security from the ground up. Instead of repurposing the general-purpose C++ Envoy proxy, Linkerd is the only service mesh to build a dedicated ultra-secure micro-proxy in Rust. This allows Linkerd to avoid the perils of C++, a language known for its security vulnerabilities, buffer overflow exploits, and CVEs.
Who is FIPS-ready Linkerd for?
While open source Linkerd is the most secure service mesh implementation out there, it does not meet the FIPS 140-2 NIST standards. Buoyant's FIPS-ready Linkerd is designed specifically for organizations that must comply with these standards.If this is you, we'd love to chat about how FIPS-ready Linkerd can help you achieve compliance.
FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) is a set of guidelines and requirements, including for cryptographic modules, that is used by federal agencies and other regulated industries. FIPS compliance ensures that cryptographic algorithms are implemented correctly and securely, providing strong protection for sensitive data.
The FIPS standards cover a broad range of topics, including encryption algorithms, access control mechanisms, physical security, and network protocols. These standards are used by government agencies, contractors, and other organizations that handle sensitive information to ensure that their systems meet the highest levels of security and compliance. Compliance with FIPS standards is often a requirement for government contracts and is a critical component of cybersecurity best practices.
FIPS 140-2 vs 800-204A vs 800-207
FIPS 140-2, 800-204A, and 800-207 are different standards published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that address different aspects of information security.
FIPS 140-2 is a standard that specifies the security requirements for cryptographic modules used in protecting sensitive information. It outlines the requirements for the design, implementation, and testing of cryptographic modules, including encryption algorithms, key management, and random number generation.
NIST 800-204A is a guideline that provides recommendations for the security and privacy requirements of controlled unclassified information (CUI) in nonfederal systems and organizations. It outlines the security controls and best practices that should be implemented to protect CUI, including access control, audit and accountability, and incident response.
NIST 800-207 is a standard that outlines the security considerations and best practices for the use of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) in securing modern information systems. It provides guidance on the design, implementation, and management of ZTA, which is a security model that assumes no trust in any user or device and requires strict authentication and authorization for all system interactions.
In short, FIPS 140-2 specifies the security requirements for cryptographic modules, NIST 800-204A provides guidance on securing controlled unclassified information, and NIST 800-207 outlines the best practices for implementing Zero Trust Architecture in information security.
