Which FIPS 140-2 encryption level enables environmental protections?

• A. Level 2
• B. Level 3
• C. Level 4
• D. Level 1

Answer: (C)

FIPS 140-2 levels describe how much physical security and environmental resilience a cryptographic module must provide. Environmental protections are implemented at the highest level, which enforces tamper-detection and defenses against environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and power variations to keep sensitive material secure even in less controlled environments. The lower levels offer increasing security features but do not require this level of environmental hardening. So the level that enables environmental protections is the highest level.