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Forward Secrecy

What is Forward Secrecy?

A property of cryptographic protocols ensuring that session keys cannot be compromised even if the server's private key is later compromised.

Information Security

Terms that appear alongside forward secrecy

Each of these is named in at least one of the same controls as forward secrecy. The number is how many controls name both.

Frameworks that govern forward secrecy

ISO 27001:2022View framework →NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5View framework →

What the standards actually require on forward secrecy

Requirements naming forward secrecy across 3 standards, quoted from the control text.

HL7 FHIR Security Framework1 control

HL7 FHIR Transport Security. TRANSPORT LAYER SECURITY (TLS) - all FHIR APIs MUST use TLS 1.2+ for production + TLS 1.3 recommended; certificate validation + trust chain + certificate pinning where appropriate + HSTS + secure session establishment + cipher suit...

HL7-FHIR-Transport-TLS-Communication · HL7 FHIR Transport Security - TLS 1.2+, Communication Security, Time Keeping, Server CapabilityStatement →
ISMAP (Japan)1 control

ISMAP Data Protection establishes comprehensive data lifecycle controls. (1) Data Classification: customer government data must be classified per Japanese government data classification scheme + including (a) General + (b) Sensitive + (c) Confidential + (d) St...

ISMAP-DataProtection-Classification-Encryption-DataResidencyJapan-Backup-SecureDeletion-Cryptography-FIPS · ISMAP Data Protection - Data Classification + AES-256 Encryption At Rest + TLS 1.3 In Transit + Data Residency Japan + Backup + Secure Deletion + Cryptography per FIPS 140-3 + CRYPTREC + KMS HSM →
O-RAN WG11 Security Specification1 control

Implement cryptography + protocol security + PKI per O-RAN WG11 Security Requirements covering TLS + SSH + IPsec + certificate lifecycle.

ORANWG11-3 · Cryptography, TLS, SSH, IPsec, and PKI Lifecycle Management →

Questions people ask about forward secrecy

What is Forward Secrecy?
A property of cryptographic protocols ensuring that session keys cannot be compromised even if the server's private key is later compromised.
Why is Forward Secrecy important for compliance?
Forward Secrecy is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding forward secrecy helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Forward Secrecy?
Forward Secrecy appears in the requirement text of HL7 FHIR Security Framework, ISMAP (Japan), O-RAN WG11 Security Specification. Across these standards we have identified 3 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Forward Secrecy?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how forward secrecy applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 686 frameworks.

See how Forward Secrecy applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

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Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.