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+---
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+---
+
+# FIPS 140-3 Mode
+
+Arc ships an optional **FIPS build variant** (`arc-fips`) for US federal, defense,
+aerospace, and other regulated environments that require validated cryptography.
+
+The FIPS variant is the **same Arc, at the same version, from the same commit** as
+the standard build — it is not a separate product or version line. It is compiled
+with a `fips` build tag against the CMVP-certified Go Cryptographic Module and runs
+that module in FIPS-only mode.
+
+:::info FIPS is a build variant, not a version
+`arc-fips` reports the same version as the standard build (for example `26.06.2`).
+You identify it by its artifact name (`arc-fips-…`, image tag `:VERSION-fips`) and
+by `"fips_mode":true` in its startup log — never by a different version number.
+:::
+
+## What the FIPS build enforces
+
+- **Validated cryptographic module.** Built with `GOFIPS140=v1.0.0`, the
+  CMVP-certified Go Cryptographic Module snapshot. The module runs its power-on
+  self-tests at process start.
+- **FIPS-only runtime.** `GODEBUG=fips140=only` is baked into the binary, so
+  non-approved standard-library crypto fails closed. The binary **refuses to
+  start** if it is not actually running in FIPS mode.
+- **Approved TLS only.** The API, cluster, and MQTT TLS paths are restricted to
+  FIPS-approved cipher suites and elliptic curves (TLS 1.2+; AES-GCM; P-256/384/521).
+- **Approved password hashing.** API-token hashing uses PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256
+  (FIPS-approved) instead of bcrypt.
+- **No non-approved crypto linked.** The FIPS binary contains no bcrypt/Blowfish
+  code; this is verified in CI by an import-graph check.
+
+## Cryptographic boundary
+
+All cryptography in Arc is provided by the Go Cryptographic Module. DuckDB and
+SQLite perform **no** cryptography — SQLite is used for token *storage*, not
+encryption — and are outside the module boundary.
+
+## Installing the FIPS build
+
+The FIPS variant ships alongside the standard build in every release. Pick the
+`-fips` artifact instead of the standard one.
+
+### Binary
+
+```bash
+# Download arc-fips-linux-amd64 (or -arm64) from the GitHub release, then verify:
+cosign verify-blob arc-fips-linux-amd64 \
+  --bundle arc-fips-linux-amd64.bundle \
+  --certificate-identity-regexp "^https://github.com/Basekick-Labs/arc/" \
+  --certificate-oidc-issuer https://token.actions.githubusercontent.com
+```
+
+### Container
+
+```bash
+# Same repo as the standard image, with a -fips tag suffix:
+docker pull ghcr.io/basekick-labs/arc:VERSION-fips
+# or: docker pull basekicklabs/arc:VERSION-fips
+
+cosign verify ghcr.io/basekick-labs/arc:VERSION-fips \
+  --certificate-identity-regexp "^https://github.com/Basekick-Labs/arc/" \
+  --certificate-oidc-issuer https://token.actions.githubusercontent.com
+```
+
+### Kubernetes (Helm)
+
+Set the image tag to the `-fips` variant:
+
+```yaml
+image:
+  repository: ghcr.io/basekick-labs/arc
+  tag: VERSION-fips
+```
+
+### Confirming FIPS mode
+
+On startup the FIPS build logs:
+
+```json
+{"level":"info","version":"26.06.2","fips_mode":true,"message":"Starting Arc..."}
+```
+
+If `fips_mode` is `false` on an `arc-fips` binary, the process exits — it will not
+run outside FIPS mode.
+
+## Token rotation on cutover (required)
+
+API tokens created by a **non-FIPS** build are stored as bcrypt hashes. The FIPS
+build **refuses to verify** bcrypt (and legacy SHA-256) hashes — it logs a
+"rotate this token" warning and denies the request, because verifying them would
+use a non-approved algorithm.
+
+When moving an existing deployment to the FIPS build:
+
+1. Bring up the FIPS build.
+2. **Rotate (recreate) every API token.** New tokens are stored as PBKDF2 hashes
+   automatically.
+
+Tokens are random 256-bit values that Arc never stores in plaintext, so existing
+bcrypt hashes cannot be migrated in place — rotation is the only path.
+
+## Arc Enterprise
+
+Arc Enterprise customers get FIPS by running the `arc-fips` build with their
+license key (`ARC_ENTERPRISE_LICENSE`). There is no separate enterprise FIPS
+binary — Enterprise FIPS is `arc-fips` + license.
+
+## CMVP status
+
+:::warning Read this before making a compliance claim
+Arc's FIPS build is compiled against the **CMVP-certified** Go Cryptographic
+Module v1.0.0. This means the *cryptographic module* is validated. **Arc itself is
+not a CMVP-listed module**, and this is **not** a statement that "Arc is FIPS 140-3
+validated." Confirm the live certificate number on the
+[NIST CMVP Validated Modules list](https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cryptographic-module-validation-program)
+before relying on it in an accreditation package.
+:::