From 1a3d7461d3dfd511902572cd273d235012173a9a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Admin <62771363+GoDeskio@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2026 00:00:42 +0800
Subject: [PATCH] docs: FIPS mode design + audit and FHE notes (backlog #17,
 #19, #20)

---
 docs/design/fips-audit-fhe.md | 17 +++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 17 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 docs/design/fips-audit-fhe.md

diff --git a/docs/design/fips-audit-fhe.md b/docs/design/fips-audit-fhe.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a5ef4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/design/fips-audit-fhe.md
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# FIPS mode, external audit, FHE watch (backlog #17, #19, #20)
+
+## #17 FIPS mode (blocked; design only)
+- **Goal:** a `fips` cargo feature (and Python env flag) that routes AES-256-GCM, HKDF-SHA256, HMAC and the DRBG through a FIPS 140-3 validated module (aws-lc-rs `fips` feature, CMVP cert for AWS-LC FIPS 3.0). Non-approved algorithms (XChaCha20-Poly1305, Argon2id, X25519, ML-KEM pre-validation) fail closed.
+- **Wire impact:** FIPS mode writes v1/alg 1 (AES-256-GCM) envelopes, or a future v3 with AES-GCM and key commitment. Readers stay the same.
+- **Interface:** a `CryptoProvider` trait (`aead_seal`, `aead_open`, `hkdf`, `hmac`, `random`) with `RustCryptoProvider` (default) and `AwsLcFipsProvider`. Selection happens at compile time, and a startup self-test runs.
+- **Blocker:** the aws-lc FIPS build needs CMake, Go and a pinned toolchain in CI, plus a decision on which validated cert and platform to claim. A "FIPS" claim is only valid on the validated build and OS. Needs Dustin's go-ahead and CI runner time. Nothing ships until then.
+
+## #19 External audit (real blocker: vendor and money)
+- **Scope:** `crates/encryptoglyph` (envelope, stream, shamir, ff1, token, pq, policy), `api/eg_crypto`, and the KDF parameters.
+- **Candidates to quote:** Trail of Bits, NCC Group, Cure53, Least Authority. Typical crypto-library engagements run 2–4 engineer-weeks.
+- **Prep done in-repo:** spec (`docs/SPEC-ENVELOPE.md`, PR #19), test vectors, clippy, and the cargo-deny policy (PR #15).
+- **Needs:** a budget decision and a signed SOW. No code action possible.
+
+## #20 FHE research watch (not code)
+- Track OpenFHE and TFHE-rs (Zama; check the license before any use) for encrypted aggregate queries.
+- Review twice a year. Adopt only if a GoDesk use case needs computation on ciphertext that blind indexes and order-revealing buckets can't cover.