OpenSSL FIPS 140-2 - Part Three - Windows OS

Compiling OpenSSL with the special FIPS module on Windows is a little more complicated than on Unix. As before, we are not allowed to make source code or build process changes to the FIPS module. (See part one of this series for more information on the build restrictions.)

OpenSSL FIPS 140-2 - Part Two - Unix OS

Compiling OpenSSL with the FIPS module on Unix-ish operating systems like Linux and Cygwin is pretty straightforward.

I was not able to correctly build the FIPS module on 64-bit Cygwin. There’s a bug in the ./config script that prevents it from compiling. I could get around the issue by running ./Configure linux-generic64 instead of the standard ./config script, but that would violate the mandated build procedure. The 32-bit version of Cygwin compiles everything without issue.

If you’d like to use the Cygwin compiled openssl.exe binary on a Windows system without Cygwin installed, copy the cygwin1.dll and cyggcc_s-1.dll files from the Cygwin bin directory and put it in the same directory as the openssl.exe file. Of course, it makes more sense to simply use the native Windows OS build.

OpenSSL FIPS 140-2 - Part One - Security and the infinite regress fallacy

Building the FIPS object module for OpenSSL must be done in a very strict manor. Deviation from the mandated compilation instructions means we cannot consider the resulting binaries as validated. They would then require “private label” validation that costs thousands of dollars. Let’s try to avoid that, shall we?

Encrypting “Data At Rest” Using FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Modules

Sensitive information falling into the wrong hands is a major security concern. The US government’s latest approach to combat this problem is to essentially encrypt everything that transmits or stores data. VPNs or secure socket layers protect data flowing across networks.  Data at rest, which is data stored on physical mediums like hard drives, CD-Rs, DVD-Rs, USB sticks, etc., must also be protected. Hard drive encryption is easy since most modern enterprise-level operating systems include this feature. Removable storage, on the other hand, is a hodge-podge of solutions and very few of them are compatible with each other.

Low Carb Sweet and Sour Sauce Ice Cream

There was a video I watched a while back where a bunch of weird ice creams were made and the guests tried each of them. One that surprised them both was sweet and sour sauce ice cream. I don’t think they actually tried an ice cream made with sweet and sour sauce. I think it was actually duck sauce. I say this because of the ice cream’s color in the video. Duck sauce is a mixture of vinegar with apricot and peach flavors. Sweet and sour sauce is pineapple, vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, garlic, and soy sauce. A duck sauce flavored ice cream isn’t a stretch of the imagination. But real sweet and sour sauce? Ketchup and soy sauce in ice cream?! Could this actually work?

Low Carb Kulfi Ice Cream

I found a recipe for kulfi ice cream in Malcolm Stogo’s “Incredible Ice Cream” book. Malcolm says, “Kulfi is the traditional Indian ice cream and has a strong cooked-milk flavor and a dense texture.”

In India, Kulfi is served in cone-shaped, lidded metal containers that are rubbed between the hands to warm and release the flavor of the ice cream. It is a very time-consuming flavor to prepare and I am not sure it is suited to an American palate. The overall taste is interesting and makes a terrific dessert after an Indian curry meal.

Low Carb Banana Curry Ice Cream

This flavor was inspired by Lindsay Clendaniel. She concocted a banana curry ice cream using mashed up bananas, brown sugar, lemon juice, and sweet curry powder. Curries are like fingerprints: each one is unique. I made sure to purchase the same one she used in the original.

Ice Cream Junk and Stuff #5

I’ve got some more ice cream related topics to talk about...

The Uncanny Valley of Bullshit

Have you ever heard of “the uncanny valley?” Do you know what it is? No? Well, then you’re not going to understand this blog post. Here’s a video on the topic:

I don’t know if it’s the best one that explains the uncanny valley, but it should suffice. Did you watch it? If you didn’t, you really should before proceeding. Ready? Great.

Low Carb White Russian Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

A White Russian is made from vodka, Kahlúa, and cream. Sounds like a great idea for an ice cream...and it is, man!

Low Carb Italian Almond Cookies

Finding uses for leftover egg whites is something home ice cream makers strive to find. David Lebovitz has a few recipes on his website for just this reason. He has one for Italian Almond Cookies that easily converts to sugar-free low carb.

Low Carb White Cheddar and Nacho Cheese Ice Cream

Nacho sauce is made from flour, butter, and cheddar cheese. We don’t need the first two items to make a rich and delicious cheese flavored ice cream. I’ve used cheddar before when I made my Low Carb Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese Ice Cream. I’ll boost the flavor by adding a whole bag of nacho Just The Cheese Chips as a mix-in.

Perl Module DBD::ODBC Unicode Support for Cygwin and Linux

I wrote a Perl program a few years back that scraped data from email messages in order to create a set of RSS feeds. I needed to modify it so that it would get the data directly from a MS-SQL database instead. Windows users running Perl would typically be using ActivePerl, but the environment I’m working on already had Cygwin up and running and is using Perl for other daily processes. Unfortunately, the DBD::ODBC module needed to communicate with the database is broken for 64-bit Cygwin environments. Thus began my journey to get an incompatible Linux-like environment that runs on top of a Windows OS to communicate with a Microsoft database.