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stevespringett committed Feb 2, 2024
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15 changes: 15 additions & 0 deletions CBOM/en/0x10-Introduction.md
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minimize this effort through alignment and reuse of concepts and components used to implement the Software Supply Chain
Security (SSCS).

Advances in quantum computing introduce the risk of previously-secure cryptographic algorithms becoming compromised
faster than ever before. In May of 2022, the White House released a [National Security Memorandum](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/04/national-security-memorandum-on-promoting-united-states-leadership-in-quantum-computing-while-mitigating-risks-to-vulnerable-cryptographic-systems/)
outlining the government’s plan to secure critical systems against potential quantum threats. This memorandum contains
two key takeaways for both agency and commercial software providers: document the potential impact of a breach, and have
an alternative cryptography solution ready.

As cryptographic systems evolve from using classical primitives to quantum-safe primitives, there is expected to be more
widespread use of cryptographic agility, or the ability to quickly switch between multiple cryptographic primitives.
Cryptographic agility serves as a security measure or incident response mechanism when a system’s cryptographic
primitive is discovered to be vulnerable or no longer complies with policies and regulations.

As part of an agile cryptographic approach, organizations should seek to understand what cryptographic assets they are
using and facilitate the assessment of the risk posture to provide a starting point for mitigation. CycloneDX designed
CBOM for this purpose.

## CBOM Design
The overall design goal of CBOM is to provide an abstraction that allows modeling and representing crypto assets in a
structured object format. This comprises the following points.
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62 changes: 45 additions & 17 deletions CBOM/en/0x20-Use-Cases.md
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## Cryptography Asset Management
The Cryptography Bill of Materials (CBOM) is a comprehensive inventory of cryptographic assets, encompassing keys,
certificates, tokens, and more. CBOM provides a structured framework for organizations to catalog and track their
cryptographic resources, facilitating efficient management and ensuring security and compliance standards are met.
By maintaining a detailed record of cryptographic assets, including their usage, expiration dates, and associated
metadata, CBOM enables proactive monitoring and streamlined auditing processes. With CBOM, organizations can effectively
safeguard their cryptographic infrastructure, mitigate risks associated with unauthorized access or misuse, and maintain
the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive data across diverse digital environments.
certificates, tokens, and more. This is a requirement of the [OMB M-23-02](https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/M-23-02-M-Memo-on-Migrating-to-Post-Quantum-Cryptography.pdf),
where such a system is characterized as a [...”software or hardware implementation of one or more cryptographic algorithms
that provide one or more of the following services: (1) creation and exchange of encryption keys; (2) encrypted connections;
or (3) creation and validation of digital signatures.”]

CBOM provides a structured framework for organizations to catalog and track their cryptographic resources, facilitating
efficient management and ensuring security and compliance standards are met. By maintaining a detailed record of
cryptographic assets, including their usage, expiration dates, and associated metadata, CBOM enables proactive monitoring
and streamlined auditing processes. With CBOM, organizations can effectively safeguard their cryptographic infrastructure,
mitigate risks associated with unauthorized access or misuse, and maintain the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive
data across diverse digital environments.

## Identifying Weak Algorithms
CBOM enables organizations to conduct thorough assessments and discover weak algorithms or flawed implementations that
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CBOM is crucial in preparing applications and systems for an impending post-quantum reality, aligning with
guidance from the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). As
quantum computing advancements threaten the security of current cryptographic standards, CBOM provides a structured
approach to inventorying cryptographic assets and evaluating their resilience against quantum threats. By cataloging
cryptographic algorithms and their respective parameters, CBOM enables organizations to identify vulnerable or weak
components that require mitigation or replacement with quantum-resistant alternatives recommended by NSA and NIST.
approach to inventorying cryptographic assets and evaluating their resilience against quantum threats.

Most notably, public key algorithms like RSA, DH, ECDH, DSA or ECDSA are considered not quantum-safe. These algorithms
occur in various components and may be hardcoded in applications but are more commonly and preferably used via dedicated
cryptographic libraries or services. Developers often don’t directly interact with cryptographic algorithms such as RSA
or ECDH but use them via protocols like TLS 1.3 or IPsec, by using certificates, keys, or other tokens. With upcoming
cryptographic agility it becomes less common to put in stone (or software) the algorithms that will be used. Instead,
they are configured during deployment or negotiated in each network protocol session. CBOM is designed with these
considerations in mind and to allow insight into the classical and quantum security level of cryptographic assets and
their dependencies.

By cataloging cryptographic algorithms and their respective parameters, CBOM enables organizations to identify vulnerable
or weak components that require mitigation or replacement with quantum-resistant alternatives recommended by NSA and NIST.
Through comprehensive analysis and strategic planning facilitated by CBOM, organizations can proactively transition to
post-quantum cryptographic primitives, ensuring the long-term security and integrity of their systems and applications.

## Cryptographic Requirements and Certifications
CBOM facilitates the assessment of whether cryptographic implementations meet the stringent criteria outlined by
FIPS 140-2, FIPS 140-3, and Common Criteria. This includes ensuring the proper selection and configuration of
cryptographic algorithms and protocols to align with certification requirements. CBOM enables organizations to streamline
the certification process by providing clear documentation of cryptographic practices and facilitating communication
between stakeholders, auditors, and certification bodies, ultimately accelerating the attainment of compliance and
bolstering confidence in the security of cryptographic systems. Suppliers whose products include cryptographic assets
are encouraged to communicate certifications that have been obtained.
## Assess Cryptographic Policies and Advisories
A cryptographic inventory in machine-readable form like CBOM brings benefits if one wants to check for compliance with
cryptographic policies and advisories. An example of such an advisory is [CNSA 2.0](https://media.defense.gov/2022/Sep/07/2003071834/-1/-1/0/CSA_CNSA_2.0_ALGORITHMS_.PDF),
which was announced by NSA in September of 2022. CNSA 2.0 states, among other things, that National Security Systems (NSS)
for firmware and software signing needs to support and prefer CNSA 2.0 algorithms by 2025 and exclusively use them by 2030.
The advised algorithms are the stateful hash-based signature schemes LMS and XMSS from [NIST SP 800-208](https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-208.pdf).
With a CBOM inventory that documents the use of LMS and XMSS by such systems, compliance with CNSA 2.0 can be assessed
in an automated way.

## Identify Expiring and Long-Term Cryptographic Material
An RSA certificate expiring in one week poses less cryptographic risk than the same certificate expiring in 20 years.
Service downtime due to an expired certificate is another risk to be considered. Therefore, we argue that an inventory
that captures the life cycle of cryptographic material as allowed by CBOM gives context to an inventory that is
instrumental for managing cryptographic risk.

## Ensure Cryptographic Certifications
Higher cryptographic assurance is provided by certifications such as [FIPS 140-3](https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/fips/140-3/final)
(levels 1 to 4) or [Common Criteria](https://www.commoncriteriaportal.org/) (EAL1 to 7). To obtain these certifications,
cryptographic modules need to undergo certification processes. For regulated environments such as FedRAMP, such
certifications are important requirements. CBOM allows the capture of certification levels of cryptographic assets so that
this property can be easily identified.

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