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FIPS mode uses AES-256-GCM instead of the default NaCl Secretbox algorithm to encrypt secrets. AES-256-GCM is an Approved Security Function under Federal Information Processing Standard 140-3, which is required in certain US government and regulated-industry environments. Both Posit Connect and Posit Package Manager can decrypt values produced in FIPS mode, subject to minimum product version requirements.

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Why use FIPS mode

Regulatory compliance

AES-256-GCM is an FIPS 140-3 Approved Security Function. The default NaCl Secretbox algorithm is not, so if your organization’s policy mandates FIPS-compliant cryptography you must use this mode.

AES-256-GCM vs NaCl Secretbox

NaCl Secretbox uses XSalsa20-Poly1305. It is secure and widely trusted, but not FIPS-approved. AES-256-GCM uses a NIST-standardized cipher with authenticated encryption and is accepted by FIPS 140-3 validation programs.

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Product version requirements

Encrypted values produced with --mode=fips will not decrypt on older product versions. Confirm your deployment meets these minimums before switching.
ProductMinimum version
Posit Connect2022.03.0
Posit Package Manager2024.04.0
Workbench uses AES-128-CBC and does not use the FIPS mode described here. See Manage secret keys for Posit Workbench instead.

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Encrypt with FIPS mode

1

Generate a key (same format)

FIPS mode uses the same 512-byte hex-encoded key format as the default mode. No special key is needed:
rskey generate -o /var/lib/rstudio-connect/rstudio-connect.key
chmod 0600 /var/lib/rstudio-connect/rstudio-connect.key
2

Encrypt with --mode=fips

Pass --mode=fips to use AES-256-GCM:
rskey encrypt -f /var/lib/rstudio-connect/rstudio-connect.key --mode=fips

Type the sensitive data to encrypt, then press Enter:
Type the sensitive data again:
AgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...==
The output is base64-encoded. Internally it is structured as a 1-byte version prefix (0x02), a 12-byte nonce, and the AES-256-GCM ciphertext with a 16-byte authentication tag.You can also encrypt via stdin:
echo "my-db-password" | rskey encrypt -f /var/lib/rstudio-connect/rstudio-connect.key --mode=fips
3

Decrypt (no flag required)

rskey decrypt does not require --mode=fips. The version byte embedded in the ciphertext identifies the algorithm — 0x02 for AES-256-GCM, 0x01 for versioned NaCl Secretbox, and no prefix for the legacy NaCl Secretbox format:
echo "AgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...==" | rskey decrypt -f /var/lib/rstudio-connect/rstudio-connect.key

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Building rskey with FIPS mode enforced

Pre-built binary releases use the standard (non-enforced) build. If you need a binary that refuses to use non-FIPS algorithms entirely — for example, to prevent accidental use of NaCl Secretbox in a strictly FIPS environment — build from source with the fips build tag: 
go build -tags fips -o rskey github.com/rstudio/rskey
When built with this tag, the FIPSMode constant is true and any call to Encrypt (not EncryptFIPS) or decryptSecretbox returns an error immediately: 
Non-AES algorithms cannot be used when running in FIPS mode
Standard rskey binaries support both algorithms simultaneously. The fips build tag is only needed when your policy requires that non-FIPS algorithms be completely unavailable at the binary level.

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Algorithm auto-detection on decrypt

rskey decrypt inspects the first byte of the decoded ciphertext to determine which algorithm was used:
Version byteAlgorithm
0x02AES-256-GCM (FIPS mode)
0x01NaCl Secretbox (versioned)
any otherNaCl Secretbox (legacy, no prefix)
This means the same rskey decrypt command handles output from all three formats without requiring the caller to specify a mode.

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