FIPS Mode Operation Configuration Guide

The Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) mode of operation ensures that a cryptographic module uses only approved security functions.

To enable FIPS mode, certain features must be disabled first.

Use the command line interface to configure your system for FIPS mode:

1. Disable the web server.

   system edit os-service http-server http-service disable

2. Disable the Telnet server.

   session edit telnet-server disable

3. Enable FIPS mode.

   fips edit state enable

4. Restart the device to activate FIPS mode.

   reboot

5. (Optional) Verify the FIPS mode status.

   fips show

   If successful, both operational and administrative statuses indicate Enabled and the cryptographic library version appears.

   Example output:

   FIPS administrative status: Enabled
   FIPS operational status:    Enabled
   Library version: CiscoSSH 1.14.56, OpenSSH_9.6p1, CiscoSSL 1.1.1y.7.3.377-fips