Allegro Cryptography Engine – ACE™

ACE™

Embedded systems are appearing in virtually all industries with the capability to communicate independently. The rapid adoption and deployment of modern communication technologies have enabled new applications in healthcare, military applications, energy management, consumer devices and many other areas. With these capabilities, comes the need for embedded device security. Any network-enabled device must be considered as a potential target for malicious intent. Encryption of sensitive data while in motion or at rest is a key component to thwarting malicious attacks and reducing risk.

ACE™ is a cryptographic library module for resource sensitive IoT devices that provides validated software implementations of FIPS-approved algorithms for the calculation of message digests, digital signature creation and verification, bulk encryption and decryption, key generation and key exchange. Used stand-alone or pre-integrated with the Allegro EdgeAgent Suite, ACE™ provides CAVP validated implementations of sophisticated FIPS approved encryption algorithms for use in embedded systems. In 2005, the National Security Agency (NSA) defined a set of cryptographic algorithms that when used together, are the preferred method for assuring the security and integrity of information passed over public networks such as the Internet. Today, Suite B is globally recognized as an advanced standard for cryptography that defines algorithms and strengths for encryption, hashing, calculating digital signatures and key exchange. ACE™ includes a platform independent, CAVP validated implementation of the NSA Suite B defined suite of cryptographic algorithms. ACE™ is delivered as ANSI C source.

Securing Data in Motion

Many IoT applications often collect and correlate valuable sensitive information at the edge of the Internet and routinely transmit it to servers in the cloud securely. TLS and DTLS are the “defacto” standards for keeping data secure when communicating with servers in the cloud. Allegro’s RomSTL™, embedded TLS, and DTLS toolkit, tightly integrates FIPS validated cryptography with a standards-based, embedded implementation of TLS/DTLS to keep your data secure while in motion. RomTLS™ is additionally integrated to make use of ACE’s support of Suite B algorithms (RFC 6460).

Securing Data at Rest

Allegro’s secure data-at-rest solution is tightly integrated with ACE™ validated FIPS 140-3 cryptography. Before offloading data to cloud-based applications, any sensitive information stored by IoT devices faces numerous threats and risks of unintentional exposure. Adding data encryption to the transmission process has been the traditional method for reducing this risk. However, simply encrypting data transmissions doesn’t fully address many of the threats aimed at recovering small segments of data or potentially the entire collection. The Allegro EdgeAgent Suite provides IoT design engineers the ability to proactively address the threat surface created when storing sensitive data on persistent media. Rather than encrypting data at a volume or drive level where exposing a single set of keys potentially compromises a significant amount of sensitive data, Allegro’s secure data-at-rest solution encrypts information at the file level.

ACE™ can be used stand-alone or pre-integrated with the Allegro EdgeAgent Suite.

ACE™ – FIPS Mode

Digital Signature Algorithms

• RSA (FIPS 186-4) Key lengths: 2048, 3072
  
  • Padding Modes: ANSI X9.31, PKCS #1v1.5, PSS
• DSA (FIPS 186-4) Key lengths: 2048, 3072
• ECDSA (FIPS 186-4) Curves: NIST P-224, P-256, P-384, P-521

Symmetric Keys

• AES Key lengths: 128, 192, 256
  • Modes: ECB, CBC, CTR, CFB1, CFB8, CFB128, OFB, CCM
• AES-GCM Key lengths: 128, 192, 256
• AES-XTS Key lengths: 128, 256
• TripleDES
  • Modes: ECB, CBC, CFB1, CFB8, CFB64, OFB

Hash Functions

• SHA-1
• SHA-224
• SHA-256
• SHA-384
• SHA-512
• SHA3-224
• SHA3-256
• SHA3-384
• SHA3-512

Message Authentication

• HMAC-SHA-1
• HMAC-SHA-224
• HMAC-SHA-256
• HMAC-SHA-384
• HMAC-SHA-512
• AES-GMAC Keylengths: 128, 192, 256
• AES-CMAC Keylengths: 128, 192, 256

Key Agreement

• DH (NIST SP 800-56A)
• ECDH Curves: NIST P-224, P-256, P-384, P-521

Key Derivation

• Password-Based Key Derivation Function 2 (PBKDF2)
• TLS Key Derivation Functions

Random Number Generator

• DRBG (NIST SP 800-90B)

ACE™ – Non-FIPS Mode

All of the above in addition to the following:

Digital Signature Algorithms

• RSA: arbitrary key lengths 1024, 2048, 3072
• DSA: arbitrary key lengths 1024, 2048, 3072

Symmetric Keys

• DES
• RC4

Hash Functions

• MD2
• MD4
• MD5

Message Authentication

• HMAC-MD5

Supported RFCs

• FIPS PUB 140-2, Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules
• FIPS PUB 180-3, Secure Hash Standard
• FIPS PUB 186-3 Digital Signature Standard (DSS)
• FIPS PUB 197, Specification for the ADVANCED ENCRYPTION STANDARD (AES)
• FIPS PUB 198, The Keyed-Hash Message Authentication Code (HMAC)
• Special Publication 800-38B, Recommendation for Block Cipher Modes of Operation: The CMAC Mode for Authentication
• Special Publication 800-38D, Recommendation for Block Cipher Modes of Operation: Galois/Counter Mode (GCM) and GMAC
• Special Publication 800-56A, Recommendation for Pair-Wise Key Establishment Schemes Using Discrete Logarithm Cryptography
• Special Publication 800-89, Recommendation for Obtaining Assurances for Digital Signature Application
• DRBG NIST Special Publication 800-90A, Recommendation for Random Number Generation Using Deterministic Random Bit Generators, section 10.1.1 Hash_DRBG.
• RFC2898 – PBKDF PKCS #5: Password-Based Cryptography Specification, Version 2.0
• PKCS #7: Cryptographic Message Syntax Standard
• PKCS #8: Private-Key Information Syntax Standard
• The Advanced Encryption Standard Algorithm Validation Suite (AESAVS)
• The FIPS 186-3 Digital Signature Algorithm Validation System (DSA2VS)
• The FIPS 186-3 Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm Validation System (ECDSA2VS)
• The 186-3 RSA Validation System (RSA2VS)
• The Secure Hash Algorithm Validation System (SHAVS)
• The NIST SP 800-90A Deterministic Random Bit Generator Validation System (DRBGVS)
• The Key Agreement Schemes Validation System (KASVS)
• The CMAC Validation System (CMACVS)
• The CCM Validation System (CCMVS)
• The Galois/Counter Mode (GCM) and GMAC Validation System (GCMVS)
• The Keyed-Hash Message Authentication Code Validation System (HMACVS)
• Modes of Operation Validation System for the Triple Data Encryption Algorithm (TMOVS):
• NIST Special Publication 800-131A Transitions: Recommendation for Transitioning the Use of Cryptographic Algorithms and Key Lengths

System Requirements

• Processor Architecture – Works with any 16-bit, 32-bit or 64-bit processor
• Operating System (OS) – Works with any OS vendor and will function without an OS if needed
• Compiler – ANSI C

Our FIPS Validation Software can be applied to any application across many industries.

Medical

Stryker

Connected Hospital Bed

To qualify for the VA medical market, Stryker’s connected hospital bed had to be FIPS validated. Stryker used Allegro’s ACE Software Cryptography module, TSL, and XML/JSON products.

Project Details

• ACE FIPS 140-3 validation
• Secure TLS communications
• XML/JSON integration
• ROI 300%+ over in-house development and maintenance
• Decreased time to deployment

Military

Boeing

Combat Survivor Evader Locator (CSEL)

Boeing used Allegro’s ACE Software Cryptography module for their sophisticated hand-held device that allows troops to communicate securely from behind lines.

Project Details

• ACE S/W algorithms replace deprecated cryptography
• Custom FIPS 140-3 validation for environment
• Projected ROI 200%+ compared to in-house development and maintenance