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CCA Release 2.54
Security Precautions
Be sure to see the “Observations on Secure Operations” chapter in the CCA
Support Program Installation Manual.
In order to maintain a secure cryptographic environment, each cryptographic node
must be audited on a regular basis. This audit should be aimed at preventing
inadvertent and malicious breaches of security. Some of the things that should be
audited are listed below:
The same transport key should not be used as both an EXPORTER key and
IMPORTER key on any given cryptographic node. This would destroy the
asymmetrical properties of the transport key.
Enablement of the Encipher Under Master Key command (command offset
X'00C3X') should be avoided.
The Key_Part_Import verb can be used to enter key-encryption keys and data
keys into the system. This verb provides for split knowledge (dual control) of
keys by ensuring that no one person knows the true value of a key. Each
person enters part of a key and the actual key is not assembled until the last
key part is used. Neither the key nor the partial results of the key assembly
appear in the clear outside of the secure hardware. Note, however, that the
clear key-parts have passed through the general purpose computer. Consider
accumulating the parts on different machines or using public-key cryptography
in the key-distribution scheme.
Be careful that the public key used in the PKA_Symmetric_Key_Generate and
PKA_Symmetric_Key_Export verbs is associated with a legitimate receiver of
the exported keys.
Chapter 5. DES Key-Management 5-21