How to Encrypt Android & iOS Data with FIPS 140-2

Learn to Encrypt FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic in Mobile apps, in mobile CI/CD with a Data-Driven DevSecOps™ build system.

What is FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic?

The Federal Information Processing Standard  Publication 140-2 (FIPS 140-2) is a U.S. government computer security standard used to approve cryptographic modules.

Adding FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules is part of the Appdome Mobile Security Suite. You can find it under TOTALData^TM Encryption. Appdome uses the FIPS 140-2 certified versions of the commercially available encryption libraries. These libraries (OpenSSL’s libcrypto and libssl) have themselves undergone FIPS certification.

Why Encrypt FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic in Mobile Apps?

The following Appdome features make use of FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography:

• Appdome’s TOTALData™Encryption makes use of FIPS 140-2 compliant RNG to generate unique IVs (Initial Vectors), and the AES256 block-cipher.
• Appdome’s Trusted session inspection uses FIPS 140-2 compliant certificate and certificate-chain verification methods (X509_verify_cert). In addition, only FIPS 140-2 compliant encryption and hash algorithms will be used in the said handshake.
• Appdome’s Copy/Paste protection makes use of FIPS 140-2 compliant RNG to generate unique IVs (Initial Vectors), and the AES256 block-cipher.
• ONEShield:
  • Appdome’s Checksum validation computes and verifies only using FIPS 140-2 approved checksum algorithms (SHA-1, SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384, SHA-512, SHA-512/224and SHA-512/256).
  • Appdome encrypts the strings and resources of the application using FIPS 140-2 compliant RNG to generate unique IVs (Initial Vectors), and the AES256 block-cipher.
  • Appdome’s Non-native code obfuscation makes use of FIPS 140-2 compliant RNG to generate unique IVs (Initial Vectors), and the AES256 block-cipher.
• MicroVPN:
  Appdome uses only FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptographic functions when establishing TLS connections. When used in Session Hardening mode, the outward facing connection will be established using FIPS 140-2 cryptographic functions, so in effect, this makes all outgoing TLS connections FIPS 140-2 compliant.

Prerequisites to Using FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules:

To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Encrypt FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic , you’ll need:

• Appdome account (create a free Appdome account here)
• A license for FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules
• Mobile App (.ipa For iOS device or .apk or .aab For Mobile)
• Signing Credentials (see Signing Secure Android apps and Signing Secure iOS apps)

Encrypt FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic on Mobile apps using Appdome

On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending Mobile Apps that Encrypt FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic without an SDK or gateway:

1. Upload the Mobile App to Appdome.

   1. Upload an app to Appdome’s Mobile App Security Build System

   2. Upload Method: Appdome Console or DEV-API
   3. Mobile App Formats: .ipa For iOS device or .apk or .aab
   4. FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules Compatible With: Obj-C, C+, Java, JS, C#, C++, Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, and more

2. Build the feature: FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules.

   1. Building FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules by using Appdome’s DEV-API:

      1. Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules feature as shown below:
      

      Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules feature
      Note: Naming the Fusion Set to correspond to the protection(s) selected is for illustration purposes only (not required).

      2. Follow the steps in Sections 2.2.1-2.2.2 of this article, Building the FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules feature via Appdome Console, to add the FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules feature to this Fusion Set.

      3. Open the Fusion Set Detail Summary by clicking the “...” symbol on the far-right corner of the Fusion Set, as shown in Figure 1 above, and get the Fusion Set ID from the Fusion Set Detail Summary (as shown below):

         Figure 2: Fusion Set Detail Summary
         Note: Annotating the Fusion Set to identify the protection(s) selected is optional only (not mandatory).

      4. Follow the instructions below to use the Fusion Set ID inside any standard mobile DevOps or CI/CD toolkit like Bitrise, App Center, Jenkins, Travis, Team City, Cirlce CI or other system:

         1. Build an API for the app – for instructions, see the tasks under Appdome API Reference Guide
         2. Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository

   2. Building the FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules feature via Appdome Console

      To build the FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules protection by using Appdome Console, follow the instructions below.

      1. Where: Inside the Appdome Console, go to Build > Security Tab > TOTALData™ Encryption section
      2. How: Toggle (turn ON) FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules, as shown below.
         If needed, Customize the Threat Notification to be displayed to the mobile end-user in a standard OS dialog notification when Appdome Encrypts FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic.

         Figure 3: Encrypt FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic option
         Note: The App Compromise Notification contains an easy to follow default remediation path for the mobile app end user. You can customize this message as required to achieve brand specific support, workflow or other messaging.

      3. When you select the FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules you'll notice that your Fusion Set you created in step 2.1.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules

         

         Figure 4: Fusion Set that displays the newly added FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules protection

      4. Click Build My App at the bottom of the Build Workflow (shown in Figure 3).

   Congratulations!  The FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules protection is now added to the mobile app

3. Certify the FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules feature in Mobile Apps.

   After building FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below:

   Figure 5: Certified Secure™ certificate

   Each Certified Secure™ certificate provides DevOps and DevSecOps organizations the entire workflow summary, audit trail of each build, and proof of protection that FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules has been added to each Mobile app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app