808bits

nShield F2 6000e, nShield F2 1500e, nShield F2 500e and nShield F2 10e

FIPS 140-2 certificate #2641 · nCipher Security Limited · data as of 2026-10-21

nShield F2 6000e, nShield F2 1500e, nShield F2 500e and nShield F2 10e, from nCipher Security Limited, holds FIPS 140-2 certificate #2641 at overall level 2. The validation is historical: agencies may keep the module in existing systems but not buy it new. Below are its validation history, algorithm certificates and security policy, drawn from the NIST CMVP entry.

Historical. SP 800-131A transition which disallows key wrapping not compliant to SP 800-38F.. Federal agencies may reference historical validations for existing systems only, not for new procurement.
Caveat: When operated in FIPS mode and initialized to Overall Level 2 per Security Policy. The protocol TLS shall not be used when operated in FIPS mode

Certificate

Certificate number2641
StandardFIPS 140-2
Statushistorical
Overall level2
Module typeHardware
EmbodimentMulti-Chip Embedded
VendornCipher Security Limited · website
Hardware versionsnC3023E-6K0, nC3023E-1K5, nC3023E-500 and nC3023E-010, Build Standard N
Firmware versions2.61.2-2

Module description

Quoted from the NIST CMVP entry for this certificate.

The nShield modules: nShield F2 10e, nShield F2 500e, nShield F2 1500e, nShield F2 6000e are tamper evident and tamper responsive Hardware Security Modules which provide support for the widest range of cryptographic algorithms, application programming interfaces (APIs) and host operating systems, enabling the devices to be used with virtually any business application. The units are identical in operation and only vary in the processing speed.

Security level exceptions

  • Roles, Services, and Authentication: Level 3
  • Physical Security: Level 3
  • EMI/EMC: Level 3
  • Design Assurance: Level 3
  • Mitigation of Other Attacks: N/A

Approved algorithms (12)

AlgorithmCAVP certificates
AES3420, 3446
CVL516, 532
DRBG825
DSA964
ECDSA695
HMAC2178
KBKDF56
KTS
RSA1752
SHS2826
Triple-DES1931
Triple-DES MACvendor affirmed

Other algorithms

ARC4; Aria; Camellia; CAST-256; DES; Diffie-Hellman (CVL Cert. #516, key agreement; key establishment methodology provides between 112 and 256 bits of encryption strength; non-compliant less than 112 bits of encryption strength); EC Diffie-Hellman (CVL Cert. #532, key agreement; key establishment methodology provides between 112 and 256 bits of encryption strength; non-compliant less than 112 bits of encryption strength); ECMQV (key agreement; key establishment methodology provides between 112 and 256 bits of encryption strength; non-compliant less than 112 bits of encryption strength); El-Gamal; HAS-160; HMAC-MD5; HMAC-RIPEMD160; HMAC-Tiger; KCDSA; MD5; NDRNG; RIPEMD-160; RSA (encrypt/decrypt); RSA (key wrapping; key establishment methodology provides between 112 and 256 bits of encryption strength; non-compliant less than 112 bits of encryption strength); SEED; Tiger; TLS KDF (non-compliant); Triple-DES (Cert. #1931, key wrapping; key establishment methodology provides 112 bits of encryption strength; non-compliant less than 112 bits of encryption strength)

Tested configurations

  • N/A

Validation history

DateTypeLab
2016-05-13InitialDXC Technology
2020-01-29UpdateLightship Security, Inc.

Status timeline

As observed by this tracker's snapshots. NIST publishes no dates for list moves; observation began 2026-08-21, so earlier changes carry no date.

  • 2026-08-21: first observed by this tracker, status historical
  • Validation dates on record: 2016-05-13, 2020-01-29

Source documents