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Transitioning WAS to the SP800-131 security standard

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publications 800-131 standard strengthens algorithms and increases the key lengths to improve security. The standard also provides for a transition period to move to the new standard. We can configure WebSphere Application Server for SP800-131 standard transition mode.

Read the "WAS security standards configurations" topic for more background information regarding security standards.

The transition period enables a user to run in a mixed environment of settings not supported under the standard along with those that are supported. The NIST SP800-131 standard requires that users be configured for strict enforcement of the standard by a specific timeframe. See The National Institute of Standards and Technology web site for more details.

The transition options can be useful when trying to get to strict SP800-131. The servers can accept a mixture old settings and new requirements. For example. they can convert certificates but continue to use the TLS protocol.

WAS can be configured to run SP800-131 in a transition mode or a strict mode. For information on how to configure strict mode. read the Configuring WAS for strict mode SP800-131 security standard topic.

To run in the SP800-131 transition mode, the server must be in a specific configuration setting as well. Other strict requirements can be include as wanted.

  1. Click Security > SSL certificate and key management > Manage FIPS.

  2. Select the Enable SP800-131 radio button.

  3. Select the Transition radio button.
  4. You have the choice to change the protocols in SSL configuration to TLSv1.2 by optionally selecting the Update the SSL configuration to require TLSv1.2 box. If we do not select this box, all SSL configurations are set to TLS.

  5. Click Apply/Save.

  6. Restart the servers.

    When these changes are applied, and the server is restarted, all of the SSL configuration on the server are modified to use the TLS or TLSv1.2 protocol, and the com.ibm.jsse2.sp800-131 system property is set to transition.

    The SSL configuration uses the appropriate SSL ciphers for the standard.

    Before we can move to the strict mode certificate, the protocol in the configuration must meet the strict requirements.

    We can go to directly to the SSL configuration and set protocols to TLSv1.2 by doing the following:

  7. Click Security > SSL certificate and key management > SSL Configurations.

  8. Select a SSL configuration from the collection panel.

  9. Under Related Items, select Quality of protection (QoP).

  10. Select TLSv1.2 from the pull-down box labeled Protocol

  11. Click Apply/Save. To change the SSL protocol using scripting, the modifySSLConfig task can also be used.

    Certificates must have a minimum size of 2048 (244 if an Elliptical Curve certificate), and signed with SHA256, SHA384, or SHA512. We can create new ones on the console and replace the old one, or import certificates that meet the standards requirements.

    There are a number of options we can use to replace certificates.

    • Use the Convert Certificate panel. This panel converts all certificates to meet the standard specified.

      1. Click Security > SSL certificate and key management > Manage FIPS > Convert Certificate

        If there are any certificates in the box labeled Certificates that can not be converted, then a certificate can not be converted using this option.

      2. Select the Strict radio button and choose which signatureAlgorithm to use when creating the new certificates from the pull-down box.

      3. Select the size of the certificate from the pull-down box labeled New Certificate Key Size. Note that Elliptical Curve signature algorithms require a specific size, so there is no need to provide a size.

      4. Click Apply/Save.

        The convertCertForSecurityStandard scripting task can also be used to convert all certificates to meet a specified standard.

    • Use the personal certificate panels to create new certificates and replace a certificate that does not meet the requirements by doing the following:

      1. Click Security > SSL certificate and key management > Key stores and certificates.

      2. Select a keystore from the collection panel.

      3. Select Personal Certificate.

        1. From the pull-down list on the Create button, select Self-Signed Certificate.
        2. Fill in an alias for the certificate. Select a signature algorithm for the certificate that is signed with SHA256, SHA384, or SHA512. Choose a size that is 2048 or greater. Note that Elliptical Curve signature algorithms require a specific size, so there is no need to specify a size.

        3. Click Apply/Save.
        4. Go back to the Personal certificate collection panel and select the certificate that does not meet the standard. Click Replace.

        5. On the Replace panel, select the certificate created that meets the standard from the pull-down list in the box labeled Replace with.

        6. Select Delete old certificate after replacement, and Delete old signer boxes.

        7. Click Apply/Save.

          To replace chained certificates, a root certificate must be created that meets the standard. Follow the previous navigation path to the root certificate in the defaultRootStore, then create a chained certificate with that new root certificate.

          The createSelfSigneCertificate scripting task can also be used to create self-signed certificate. The replaceCertificate scripting task can also be used to replace the new certificate for the old one.

    • Use the personal certificate panels to import certificates and to replace the certificate that does not meet the requirements. Some certificate come from external sources such as a Certificate Authority (CA).

      1. Click Security > SSL certificate and key management > Key stores and certificates.

      2. Select a keystore from the collection panel.

      3. Select Personal Certificate.

        1. Select Import Certificate.
        2. Fill in the information needed to access the certificate in an existing keystore file.

        3. Click Apply/Save.
        4. Go back to the Personal certificate collection panel and select the certificate that does not meet the standard. Click the Replace button.

        5. On the Replace panel, select the certificate created that meets the standard from the pull-down list in the box labeled Replace with. Select Delete old certificate after replacement and Delete old signer boxes.

        6. Click Apply/Save.

          The importCertificate scripting task can also be used to import a certificate. The replaceCertificate scripting task can also be used to replace the new certificate for the old one.

  12. To enable strict SP800-131, click Security > SSL certificate and key management > Manage FIPS.

  13. Click the Enable SP800-131.

  14. Click the Strict.

  15. Click Apply/Save.

  16. Restart your servers and manually sync your nodes for the changes to take effect.

  17. Configure the client ssl.client.props file for the transition mode SP800-131 standard. Once the server is configured for SP800-131 transition mode, the ssl.client.props file might need to modified so the admin client can connect to the server.

    Edit the ssl.client.props file. Change the com.ibm.ssl.protocol property to match the protocol the server is using.

  18. Configure the client ssl.client.props file for strict mode SP800-131 standard. Once the server is configured for SP800-131 strict mode, the ssl.client.props file must be modified so the admin client is running in SP800-131 strict mode. It is not able to make a SSL connection to the server without the change.

    Edit the ssl.client.props file as follows:

    1. Modify the com.ibm.security.useFIPS to be set totrue.
    2. Add the com.ibm.websphere.security.FIPSLevel=SP800-131 just below the useFips property.

    3. Change the com.ibm.ssl.protocol property to TLSv1.2

The browser used to access the dmgr console or an application must use a protocol that is compatible with the server. If the server is running in a transition mode, the browser must be set to use the protocol that matches the server. The SP800-131 standard requires the SSL connection use the TLSv1.2 protocol, so the browser must support TLSv1.2 and use it to access the dmgr console.


Related concepts:

WAS security standards configurations


Related


Configure WAS for SP800-131 standard strict mode
Configure WAS for the Suite B security standard
Configure Federal Information Processing Standard Java Secure Socket Extension files


Reference:

FIPSCommands command group for AdminTask


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