FIPS 140-3 defines the security requirements for cryptographic modules used by the U.S. government and regulated industries. Compliance demands strict controls over how users are created, authenticated, authorized, and audited. User management is not a side feature — it is central to meeting the standard.
Under FIPS 140-3, the cryptographic module must enforce role-based or identity-based controls. Each user must be assigned a unique identifier with permissions mapped to their role. No shared credentials, no untracked accounts. The standard requires secure authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication, and prohibits default passwords. All authentication data must be protected by FIPS-approved algorithms.
Session management is also regulated. Modules must terminate inactive or expired sessions and invalidate tokens outside their allowed lifetime. Every access attempt, successful or failed, must be logged with sufficient detail to trace who did what and when. Logs must themselves be integrity-protected, ensuring they cannot be altered without detection.