bbRad security
m (moved bbRad encryption to bbRad security) |
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[[Category:Distributor]] | [[Category:Distributor]] | ||
[[Category:GPG]] | [[Category:GPG]] | ||
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| + | == bbRad Security and encryption details == | ||
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| + | Note: This page describes security details of bbRad for technical readers. | ||
| + | For our Information Governance and Security Compliance Statement please see here. | ||
=== Security of data in transit === | === Security of data in transit === | ||
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* AES-256 encryption | * AES-256 encryption | ||
| + | * SSL/TLS connections | ||
| − | All data - metadata as well as patient data such as images, reports, memos, attached files, requests etc - is encrypted using public key cryptography. | + | All data - metadata as well as patient data such as images, reports, memos, attached files, requests etc - is first encrypted on the Gateway or Serverless, using public key cryptography. The patient data (ie images, reports, memos, attachments, requests) are encrypted to the recipient's public key. The corresponding private key is held on the bbRad Gateway itself. Only the meta-data is encrypted to bbRad's public key. The metadata has routing information telling our system where to send the encrypted payload. |
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| − | The patient data (ie images, reports, memos, attachments, requests) are encrypted to the recipient's public key. The corresponding private key is held on the bbRad Gateway itself. | + | |
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| − | Only the meta-data is encrypted to bbRad's public key. The metadata has routing information telling our system where to send the encrypted payload. | + | |
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| + | This means that all patient data enjoys end-to-end encryption. Patient data is not decrypted until safely on the recipient hospital's network, or in the case of gateway to Serverless transfers, on the recipient bbRad Serverless infrastructure. | ||
| + | bbRad uses RSA keys with 2048 bit key-lengths. The keys also indicate which symmetric encryption algorithm to use - so far always AES. By default we create all Gateways keys to require the military-strength algorithm called AES-256 when data is encrypted to that public key. In addition we never do '[https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/18197/why-shouldnt-we-roll-our-own roll your own]' cryptography. Within bbRad, cryptographic operations are performed by OS calls to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Privacy_Guard GPG], an open source implementation of the OpenPGP standard as defined by RFC4880 (also known as PGP). As as a result of using out-of-process calls to the GPG executable, possible security problems in the application do not propagate to the actual crypto code, due to the process barrier. | ||
| + | Furthermore, this architecture future-proofs bbRad because it is easy to upgrade your encryption without even needing to change bbRad. For example if a flaw were found in AES256, we or a hospital's IT department can rapidly upgrade GPG on the Gateway server, and/or we can re-generate and replace encryption keys and corresponding signatures. No new bbRad version is needed. | ||
| + | The transfer protocol used is Secure FTP, using the latest Secure FTP protocol called [http://www.enterprisedt.com/products/edtftpjssl/doc/manual/index.html Explicit FTPS], also known as FTP over SSL/TLS. This means that hospitals do not need to make any firewall rule changes beyond enabling FTP. Hospitals can also double-encrypt data by setting [[bbRad Admin Console - Setting up Secure FTP|an option]] to use Secure FTP for the FTP data channel. This is appropriate for countries or and policies that specifically mandate SSL/TLS. | ||
| − | + | Within the hospital LAN, all communications from the client in the Radiology department to the bbRad gateway are also encrypted using SSL/TLS. | |
Revision as of 18:07, 10 April 2016
bbRad Security and encryption details
Note: This page describes security details of bbRad for technical readers. For our Information Governance and Security Compliance Statement please see here.
Security of data in transit
bbRad has always strong-encrypted all data. This page gives details of the encryption used.
Encryption between bbRad Gateways, including Gateway<->Serverless
bbRad conforms to the highest standards of security, including those required by the NHS, namely
- AES-256 encryption
- SSL/TLS connections
All data - metadata as well as patient data such as images, reports, memos, attached files, requests etc - is first encrypted on the Gateway or Serverless, using public key cryptography. The patient data (ie images, reports, memos, attachments, requests) are encrypted to the recipient's public key. The corresponding private key is held on the bbRad Gateway itself. Only the meta-data is encrypted to bbRad's public key. The metadata has routing information telling our system where to send the encrypted payload.
This means that all patient data enjoys end-to-end encryption. Patient data is not decrypted until safely on the recipient hospital's network, or in the case of gateway to Serverless transfers, on the recipient bbRad Serverless infrastructure.
bbRad uses RSA keys with 2048 bit key-lengths. The keys also indicate which symmetric encryption algorithm to use - so far always AES. By default we create all Gateways keys to require the military-strength algorithm called AES-256 when data is encrypted to that public key. In addition we never do 'roll your own' cryptography. Within bbRad, cryptographic operations are performed by OS calls to GPG, an open source implementation of the OpenPGP standard as defined by RFC4880 (also known as PGP). As as a result of using out-of-process calls to the GPG executable, possible security problems in the application do not propagate to the actual crypto code, due to the process barrier.
Furthermore, this architecture future-proofs bbRad because it is easy to upgrade your encryption without even needing to change bbRad. For example if a flaw were found in AES256, we or a hospital's IT department can rapidly upgrade GPG on the Gateway server, and/or we can re-generate and replace encryption keys and corresponding signatures. No new bbRad version is needed.
The transfer protocol used is Secure FTP, using the latest Secure FTP protocol called Explicit FTPS, also known as FTP over SSL/TLS. This means that hospitals do not need to make any firewall rule changes beyond enabling FTP. Hospitals can also double-encrypt data by setting an option to use Secure FTP for the FTP data channel. This is appropriate for countries or and policies that specifically mandate SSL/TLS.
Within the hospital LAN, all communications from the client in the Radiology department to the bbRad gateway are also encrypted using SSL/TLS.
