FIPS 140-3 is the current U.S. government standard for cryptographic modules. It defines how encryption must be designed, tested, and validated. Privacy by default means your system starts from the strongest possible privacy settings, with no configuration needed from the user. Combined, they form a hard line: encryption isn’t optional, and data protection isn’t a toggle. It’s built in, enforced, and constant.
To meet FIPS 140-3 privacy by default requirements, encryption must protect data at rest, in transit, and during processing when applicable. Cryptographic modules must be validated by NIST-accredited labs. Keys are generated, stored, and destroyed following strict entropy and lifecycle controls. There is no room for weak ciphers or ad hoc crypto. The standard mandates approved algorithms like AES, SHA-2, and RSA or ECC with defined key sizes.
Privacy by default under FIPS 140-3 also demands secure defaults for key management. No plaintext export. No insecure storage. Multi-factor authentication for access to cryptographic keys. Clear separation between public and private domains. Every subsystem touching sensitive data must implement these safeguards out of the box.