FIPS 140-3 Compliant Microservices Access Proxy: The Single Point of Trust
FIPS 140-3 is the current U.S. government standard for cryptographic modules. It defines strict rules for encryption algorithms, key management, authentication, and secure operation. If your workloads handle regulated information — financial transactions, healthcare records, government data — you cannot pass an audit without meeting these requirements.
In a microservices architecture, compliance is harder. Services talk to each other at high velocity, often across different physical and cloud environments. Each request carries the risk of becoming an attack vector. Without a centralized access proxy that enforces FIPS-approved cryptography, every microservice must implement its own controls. That creates gaps. Gaps get exploited.
A FIPS 140-3 Microservices Access Proxy solves this. It sits between services. Every inbound and outbound call passes through it. The proxy encrypts traffic with validated algorithms such as AES and SHA-2. It uses keys generated and stored in a FIPS-compliant module. It blocks non-compliant cipher suites. It logs every request with immutable timestamps and signatures. It handles TLS handshakes and mutual authentication so the services themselves stay lean.
Deploying such a proxy requires careful planning. Containerized environments must be configured to route service-to-service traffic through the proxy without breaking latency budgets. Certificates must be managed with automated rotation. Role-based access must be integrated with service identity, not just human credentials. Monitoring must track both security metrics and system health in real time.
When implemented correctly, a FIPS 140-3 Microservices Access Proxy is more than a compliance checkbox — it is the single point that controls, observes, and enforces trust across your architecture. That trust is documented, testable, and audit-ready.
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