🔒 Hack23 AB — Cryptography Policy

🛡️ Encryption Excellence Through Systematic Implementation
🎯 Demonstrating Cryptographic Expertise for Security Consulting

📋 Document Owner: CEO | 📄 Version: 1.2 | 📅 Last Updated: 2026-01-25 (UTC)
🔄 Review Cycle: Annual | ⏰ Next Review: 2027-01-25

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🎯 Purpose Statement

Hack23 AB's cryptographic implementation demonstrates how systematic encryption practices directly enable both security excellence and business innovation. Our cryptography policy serves as both operational framework and client demonstration of our cybersecurity consulting expertise.

As a cybersecurity consulting company, our approach to cryptography becomes a showcase of professional cryptographic standards, demonstrating to potential clients how proper encryption implementations enable business security without hindering functionality.

Our commitment to transparency means our cryptographic practices become a reference implementation, showing how systematic encryption approaches create competitive advantages through robust security foundations.

— James Pether Sörling, CEO/Founder

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🔍 Purpose & Scope

This policy establishes cryptographic standards and procedures for Hack23 AB, ensuring appropriate encryption of data at rest, in transit, and in processing across all systems and applications.

Scope: All systems in Asset Register, data per Data Classification Policy, and supplier services per SUPPLIER.md.

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🔒 Mandatory Cryptographic Requirements

✅ MUST HAVE - Encryption at Rest

Organizations implementing this policy MUST:

flowchart TD
    subgraph "🔐 Encryption at Rest Requirements"
        EXTREME["Extreme Data<br/>✅ MUST: HSM Encryption"]
        HIGH["High Data<br/>✅ MUST: AES-256 CMK"]
        STANDARD["Standard Data<br/>✅ MUST: AES-256 Service"]
    end
    
    subgraph "🔑 Key Management Requirements"
        KMS["Key Management Service<br/>✅ MUST: Centralized KMS"]
        ROTATION["Key Rotation<br/>✅ MUST: Annual minimum"]
        BACKUP["Key Backup<br/>✅ MUST: Cross-region"]
    end
    
    subgraph "📋 Compliance Gates"
        AUDIT["Audit Logging<br/>✅ MUST: All key operations"]
        ACCESS["Access Control<br/>✅ MUST: Least privilege"]
        MONITORING["Monitoring<br/>✅ MUST: Real-time alerts"]
    end
    
    EXTREME --> KMS
    HIGH --> KMS
    STANDARD --> KMS
    
    KMS --> AUDIT
    ROTATION --> ACCESS
    BACKUP --> MONITORING
    
    style EXTREME fill:#D32F2F
    style HIGH fill:#FFC107
    style STANDARD fill:#4CAF50

Encryption at Rest Requirements:

• ✅ MUST implement AES-256 encryption for all data storage systems
• ✅ MUST use centralized key management service (AWS KMS or equivalent)
• ✅ MUST enforce customer-managed keys (CMK) for high-classification data
• ✅ MUST implement automated key rotation (annual minimum, quarterly preferred)

✅ MUST HAVE - Encryption in Transit

Data transmission security implementation MUST:

graph LR
    subgraph "🌐 Transport Layer Requirements"
        TLS13["TLS 1.3 Preferred<br/>✅ MUST: Modern protocols"]
        TLS12["TLS 1.2 Minimum<br/>✅ MUST: Legacy support"]
        CIPHERS["Strong Ciphers<br/>✅ MUST: AEAD suites only"]
    end
    
    subgraph "🔒 Protocol Implementation"
        HTTPS["HTTPS Everywhere<br/>✅ MUST: All web traffic"]
        API["API Security<br/>✅ MUST: TLS + signatures"]
        EMAIL["Email Encryption<br/>✅ MUST: TLS + S/MIME"]
    end
    
    subgraph "📊 Validation Requirements"
        TESTING["Protocol Testing<br/>✅ MUST: Automated validation"]
        GRADING["Security Grading<br/>✅ MUST: SSL Labs A+"]
        MONITORING["Traffic Monitoring<br/>✅ MUST: Weak cipher detection"]
    end
    
    TLS13 --> HTTPS
    TLS12 --> API
    CIPHERS --> EMAIL
    
    HTTPS --> TESTING
    API --> GRADING
    EMAIL --> MONITORING
    
    style TLS13 fill:#4CAF50
    style HTTPS fill:#1565C0
    style TESTING fill:#FFC107

Transport Security Requirements:

• ✅ MUST implement TLS 1.3 for all new implementations
• ✅ MUST support TLS 1.2 minimum for legacy compatibility
• ✅ MUST use only modern cipher suites with forward secrecy
• ✅ MUST achieve SSL Labs A+ rating for all public endpoints

✅ MUST HAVE - Key Management Framework

Cryptographic key management MUST:

sequenceDiagram
    participant GEN as 🔑 Key Generation
    participant STORE as 🏦 Secure Storage
    participant USE as 🔐 Key Usage
    participant ROTATE as 🔄 Key Rotation
    participant DELETE as 🗑️ Secure Deletion
    
    GEN->>STORE: ✅ MUST: HSM generation
    STORE->>USE: ✅ MUST: Least privilege access
    USE->>ROTATE: ✅ MUST: Annual rotation
    ROTATE->>DELETE: ✅ MUST: Secure key destruction
    DELETE->>GEN: ✅ MUST: Audit trail maintained

Key Management Requirements:

• ✅ MUST generate all cryptographic keys using hardware security modules
• ✅ MUST implement centralized key management with AWS KMS or equivalent
• ✅ MUST enforce role-based access control for all key operations
• ✅ MUST maintain complete audit trails for key lifecycle events

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🔒 Cryptographic Standards Framework

🛡️ Approved Encryption Algorithms

Algorithm Type	Algorithm	Key Size	Implementation	Status
🔐 Symmetric	AES	256-bit
🔑 Asymmetric	RSA	4096-bit
🔑 Asymmetric	Ed25519	256-bit
🔍 Hashing	SHA-256	256-bit
🔍 Hashing	SHA-3	256-bit

❌ Prohibited Algorithms

Deprecated Algorithm	Security Issue	Replacement	Deadline
MD5		SHA-256
SHA-1		SHA-256
DES/3DES		AES-256
RC4		AES-GCM

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🏗️ Implementation Architecture

📊 Encryption by Data Classification

Implementation follows Data Classification Policy requirements:

Classification Level	Encryption Requirement	Key Management	Implementation
	HSM-based AES-256		Hardware Security Module
	AES-256 + CMK		Customer Managed Keys
	AES-256 encryption		Service Managed Keys
	Standard encryption		Service Default
	Basic protection		Platform Standard

🌐 Transport Layer Security Implementation

flowchart TB
    subgraph "🌐 Public Internet"
        USERS[Users/Clients<br/>TLS 1.3 Preferred]
        CDN[CloudFront CDN<br/>TLS Termination]
        WAF[AWS WAF<br/>Cipher Suite Filtering]
    end
    
    subgraph "🔒 Application Layer"
        ALB[Application Load Balancer<br/>TLS 1.2+ Only]
        API[API Gateway<br/>Modern Ciphers]
        LAMBDA[Lambda Functions<br/>HTTPS Everywhere]
    end
    
    subgraph "💾 Data Layer"
        RDS[RDS PostgreSQL<br/>Force SSL]
        S3[S3 Buckets<br/>HTTPS Required]
        KMS[KMS Operations<br/>TLS 1.3]
    end
    
    USERS --> CDN
    CDN --> WAF
    WAF --> ALB
    
    ALB --> API
    API --> LAMBDA
    
    LAMBDA --> RDS
    LAMBDA --> S3
    LAMBDA --> KMS
    
    style USERS fill:#1565C0
    style CDN fill:#4CAF50
    style ALB fill:#FF9800
    style RDS fill:#7B1FA2

🔑 AWS KMS Integration Architecture

Comprehensive key management per Asset Register AWS services:

AWS Service	Encryption Method	Key Type	Status
S3 Buckets		Customer Managed
RDS PostgreSQL		Customer Managed
Lambda Functions		Function-specific CMK
CloudTrail Logs		Service Managed
WorkMail		Service Managed

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🛡️ Security Control Framework

🔍 Certificate Management

Domain certificate management aligned with Network Security Policy:

Domain	Certificate Type	Issuer	Security Features
hack23.com
blacktrigram.com

🔒 Modern Cipher Suite Requirements

Approved cipher suites for TLS 1.3:

TLS_1_3_Ciphers:
  - TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384          # ✅ AEAD with perfect forward secrecy
  - TLS_CHACHA20_POLY1305_SHA256    # ✅ AEAD optimized for mobile
  - TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256          # ✅ AEAD acceptable for performance

TLS_1_2_Ciphers:
  - ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384     # ✅ Forward secrecy + AEAD
  - ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256     # ✅ Forward secrecy + AEAD
  - ECDHE-RSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305     # ✅ Forward secrecy + AEAD

Prohibited_Ciphers:
  - All non-AEAD ciphers             # ❌ No authentication
  - RC4 family                       # ❌ Stream cipher weakness
  - DES/3DES family                  # ❌ Inadequate key strength

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📊 Cryptographic Performance Metrics

🎯 Security Posture KPIs

Metric Category	KPI	Target	Current Status	Framework Badge
🔐 Encryption Coverage	Data at Rest	100%
🌐 Transport Security	TLS Implementation	100%
🔑 Key Management	KMS Integration	100%
📋 Algorithm Compliance	Approved Algorithms	100%
🔄 Key Rotation	Automated Rotation	Annual minimum

🔄 Continuous Security Improvement

flowchart LR
    ASSESS["🔍 Crypto Assessment"] --> IMPLEMENT["🔒 Algorithm Updates"]
    IMPLEMENT --> VALIDATE["✅ Security Validation"]
    VALIDATE --> MONITOR["📊 Performance Monitoring"]
    MONITOR --> ASSESS
    
    ASSESS --> THREAT["🚨 Threat Intelligence"]
    THREAT --> QUANTUM["🔮 Post-Quantum Prep"]
    QUANTUM --> IMPLEMENT
    
    style ASSESS fill:#1565C0
    style IMPLEMENT fill:#4CAF50
    style VALIDATE fill:#FF9800
    style MONITOR fill:#7B1FA2

Business Value Demonstration:

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✍️ Code Signing & Commit Verification

All code commits and releases MUST be cryptographically signed:

Signing Type	Algorithm	Key Size	Requirement	Verification
Git Commits	GPG/RSA	4096-bit	✅ MUST sign all commits
Git Tags	GPG/RSA	4096-bit	✅ MUST sign all releases	GitHub verified badge
SSH Auth	Ed25519	256-bit	✅ MUST use for Git operations	SSH key fingerprint audit
Maven Artifacts	GPG/RSA	4096-bit	✅ MUST sign for Maven Central	Sonatype verification

GPG Key Management:

• ✅ Primary signing key: 4096-bit RSA with 2-year expiration
• ✅ Subkeys for signing operations (rotate annually)
• ✅ Private keys protected with strong passphrase (see Password Policy below)
• ✅ Public keys published to GitHub, keyservers, and Maven Central
• ✅ Key backup stored in encrypted offline storage

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🔑 SSH Key Management

SSH key requirements for infrastructure access:

Use Case	Algorithm	Key Size	Passphrase	Rotation
GitHub Access	Ed25519	256-bit	✅ Required	Annual
AWS EC2 Access	Ed25519	256-bit	✅ Required	Annual
Server Administration	Ed25519	256-bit	✅ Required	Annual
Legacy Systems	RSA	4096-bit min	✅ Required	Annual

SSH Hardening Requirements:

• ✅ MUST disable password authentication on all servers
• ✅ MUST use Ed25519 for new key generation (RSA-4096 for legacy only)
• ✅ MUST protect private keys with strong passphrase
• ✅ MUST use SSH agent with timeout (12 hours maximum)
• ✅ MUST maintain authorized_keys audit trail
• ❌ MUST NOT share SSH keys between systems or personnel

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🔐 Password & Secrets Management

Cryptographic Password Requirements:

Password Type	Minimum Length	Complexity	Rotation	Storage
Master Passwords	20+ characters	High entropy passphrase	Annual	Hardware token + memory
Service Accounts	32+ characters	Random generation	90 days	AWS Secrets Manager
API Keys	40+ characters	Cryptographic random	90 days	AWS Secrets Manager
Database Credentials	32+ characters	Random generation	90 days	AWS Secrets Manager
Encryption Passphrases	25+ characters	High entropy	Annual	Hardware token

Secrets Management Architecture:

flowchart TB
    subgraph "🔐 Secrets Storage"
        SM[AWS Secrets Manager<br/>Primary secrets store]
        KMS[AWS KMS<br/>Secrets encryption]
        PARAM[SSM Parameter Store<br/>Configuration secrets]
    end
    
    subgraph "🔑 Key Hierarchy"
        MASTER[Master CMK<br/>Secrets Manager CMK]
        APP[Application Keys<br/>Per-service secrets]
        ROTATE[Automatic Rotation<br/>Lambda-based]
    end
    
    subgraph "📋 Audit & Compliance"
        TRAIL[CloudTrail<br/>Access logging]
        ALERT[CloudWatch Alerts<br/>Anomaly detection]
        REVIEW[Quarterly Review<br/>Access audit]
    end
    
    SM --> KMS
    PARAM --> KMS
    KMS --> MASTER
    MASTER --> APP
    APP --> ROTATE
    
    SM --> TRAIL
    TRAIL --> ALERT
    ALERT --> REVIEW
    
    style SM fill:#FF9800
    style KMS fill:#4CAF50
    style MASTER fill:#1565C0

Prohibited Practices:

• ❌ NEVER store secrets in source code, environment files, or documentation
• ❌ NEVER transmit secrets via unencrypted channels (email, chat, tickets)
• ❌ NEVER reuse passwords across different systems
• ❌ NEVER use predictable or dictionary-based passwords

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🚨 Cryptographic Incident Response

Key Compromise Response Procedures:

Incident Type	Severity	Response Time	Immediate Actions
Private Key Exposure	Critical	<1 hour	Revoke key, rotate affected systems, notify stakeholders
Password/Secret Leak	High	<4 hours	Rotate secret, audit access logs, assess exposure scope
Weak Algorithm Detection	Medium	<24 hours	Plan migration, assess risk, implement stronger algorithm
Certificate Expiry	Medium	<24 hours	Renew certificate, validate deployment, test connectivity
HSM/KMS Issue	Critical	<1 hour	Activate backup keys, engage AWS support, incident documentation

Incident Response Steps:

1. Detection & Triage - Identify scope and severity of cryptographic incident
2. Containment - Revoke compromised keys/certificates immediately
3. Eradication - Remove exposure source, rotate all potentially affected secrets
4. Recovery - Deploy new cryptographic material, validate system functionality
5. Post-Incident - Document lessons learned, update procedures, enhance monitoring

Notification Requirements:

• Internal: CEO notified within 1 hour for Critical/High severity
• External: Per Incident Response Plan requirements
• Regulatory: GDPR 72-hour notification if personal data potentially affected

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🔮 Post-Quantum Cryptography Roadmap

NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standards (Finalized 2024):

Algorithm	Type	Standard	Use Case	Adoption Status
ML-KEM (CRYSTALS-Kyber)	Key Encapsulation	FIPS 203	Key exchange, TLS
ML-DSA (CRYSTALS-Dilithium)	Digital Signature	FIPS 204	Code signing, certificates
SLH-DSA (SPHINCS+)	Digital Signature	FIPS 205	Long-term signatures

Transition Timeline:

• 2025-2026: Inventory cryptographic assets, monitor AWS/cloud provider PQC support
• 2027-2028: Hybrid implementations (classical + PQC) for high-value assets
• 2030+: Full PQC migration per NIST/NSA guidance

Current Actions:

• ✅ Cryptographic asset inventory maintained in Asset Register
• ✅ Monitoring AWS KMS PQC roadmap
• ✅ Algorithm agility designed into key management architecture
• 🔄 Awaiting cloud provider hybrid TLS support

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📚 Related Documents

🎯 Strategic & Governance

• 🎯 Information Security Strategy - Strategic cryptography direction, post-quantum roadmap, and AI-first operations
• 🔐 Information Security Policy - Overall security governance framework and AI-First Operations Governance
• 🏷️ Classification Framework - Encryption level requirements by data classification

🔒 Security Policies

• 🏷️ Data Classification Policy - Data handling and protection requirements
• 🌐 Network Security Policy - Network encryption and TLS standards
• 🔑 Access Control Policy - Key management and authentication controls
• 🤖 AI Policy - AI agent cryptographic requirements

💻 Asset & Development

• 💻 Asset Register - Cryptographic asset inventory
• 🛠️ Secure Development Policy - Application encryption requirements
• 🤝 Third Party Management - Supplier cryptographic assessments

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📋 Document Control:
✅ Approved by: James Pether Sörling, CEO
📤 Distribution: Public
🏷️ Classification:
📅 Effective Date: 2026-01-25
⏰ Next Review: 2027-01-25
🎯 Framework Compliance: