The breach was silent. No alerts. No noise. Just data slipping from a trusted system into hostile hands. That’s why standards exist. And why ignoring them is a gamble you lose in slow motion.
FIPS 140-3 is the current U.S. government standard for cryptographic modules. It defines how encryption must be implemented and validated. HIPAA is the federal law that protects patient health information. Together, they form an overlapping security requirement for any system that processes Protected Health Information (PHI) using encryption.
If your product handles PHI, HIPAA requires you to safeguard it under strict technical, physical, and administrative controls. When those safeguards include cryptography, FIPS 140-3 certification or compliance is the recognized proof of strength. It’s not just about using AES or TLS—it’s about using them inside a validated, documented, and tested cryptographic module.
Under FIPS 140-3, your crypto libraries and hardware must be tested by accredited labs, reviewed by NIST, and issued a certificate. This process confirms that every algorithm, key management practice, and random number generator meets defined assurance levels. For HIPAA compliance, using FIPS 140-3 validated modules closes a major risk vector: unverified or broken crypto.