FIPS stands for Federal Information Processing Standards. These are a set of publicly announced standards developed by the U.S. government to ensure the security, quality, and interoperability of computer systems and software used by non-military federal agencies and their contractors.

Key Information about FIPS 

• Purpose: The primary goal of FIPS is to establish a baseline for security and interoperability across federal information systems, protecting sensitive but unclassified (SBU) government data.
• Developer: The standards are developed and maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a non-regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
• Mandatory Use: Compliance with FIPS is mandatory for all U.S. federal agencies and the private-sector companies, contractors, and vendors that work with them or handle federal information.
• Voluntary Adoption: While designed for the federal government, many private-sector organizations and other countries adopt FIPS as a benchmark for robust cybersecurity practices and to meet regulatory requirements in industries like healthcare and finance.

Major FIPS Standards

FIPS includes several specific publications, but the most well-known are related to data security and encryption: 

• FIPS 140 Series (currently 140-3): This is the key standard that specifies security requirements for cryptographic modules (both hardware and software components that perform encryption and key management). It defines four increasing levels of security, from basic production-grade equipment (Level 1) to high-level physical tamper-resistance that can erase data upon attack (Level 4).
• FIPS 197: This standard designates the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) as the official encryption algorithm for securing sensitive government information.
• FIPS 199: This publication provides guidance for categorizing federal information and information systems based on the potential impact of a security breach (low, moderate, or high impact).
• FIPS 201: This standard defines requirements for Personal Identity Verification (PIV) for federal employees and contractors, often involving secure smart cards and biometrics to ensure secure access to facilities and systems.

For more information, you can visit the official NIST Computer Security Resource Center website.