Secure Storage feature allows you to secure critical configuration information by encrypting it. It encrypts VPN, IPSec, and other asymmetric key-pairs, pre-shared secrets, the type 6 password encryption key and certain credentials. An instance-unique encryption key is stored in the hardware trust anchor to prevent it from being compromised.

By default, this feature is enabled on platforms that come with a hardware trust anchor. This feature is not supported on platforms that do not have hardware trust anchor.

Starting from Cisco IOS Release 15.6(3) M1, the following platforms support Secure Storage:

1.    Config terminal

2.    service private-config-encryption

3.    do write memory

router#config terminal

router(config)# service private-config-encryption 

router(config)# do write memory 

router#config terminal
router(config)# service private-config-encryption
router(config)# do write memory

1.    Config terminal

2.    no service private-config-encryption

3.    do write memory

router#config terminal

router(config)# no service private-config-encryption 

router(config)# do write memory 

router#config terminal
router(config)# no service private-config-encryption
router(config)# do write memory

Use the show parser encrypt file status command to verify the status of encryption. The following command output indicates that the feature is available but the file is not encrypted. The file is in ‘plain text’ format.

router#show parser encrypt file status 
Feature: Enabled
File Format: Plain Text
Encryption Version: Ver1
 

The following command output indicates that the feature is enabled and the file is encrypted. The file is in ‘cipher text’ format.

router#show parser encrypt file status 
Feature: Enabled
File Format: Cipher Text
Encryption Version: Ver1
 

Use the show platform sudi certificate command to display the SUDI certificate in standard PEM format. The command output helps you verify the platform identity.

In the command output, the first certificate is the Cisco Root CA 2048 and the second is the Cisco subordinate CA (ACT2 SUDI CA). The third is the SUDI certificate.

router#show platform sudi certificate sign nonce 123
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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-----END CERTIFICATE-----
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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-----END CERTIFICATE-----
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
 MIIDhzCCAm+gAwIBAgIEAJT3DDANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQsFADAnMQ4wDAYDVQQKEwVD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-----END CERTIFICTAE
Signature version: 1
Signature: 405C70D802B73947EDBF8D0D2C8180F10D4B3EF9694514219C579D2ED52F7D583E0F40813FC4E9F549B2EB1C21725F7C
B1C79F98271E47E780E703E67472380FB52D4963E1D1FB9787B38E28B8E696570A180B7A2F131B1F174EA79F5DB4765DF67386126D8
9E07EDF6C26E0A81272EA1437D03F2692937082756AE1F1BFAFBFACD6BE9CF9C84C961FACE9FA0FE64D85AE4FA086969D0702C536ABD
B8FBFDC47C14C17D02FEBF4F7F5B24D2932FA876F56B4C07816270A0B4195C53D975C85AEAE3A74F2DBF293F52423ECB7B853967080A
9C57DA3E4B08B2B2CA623B2CBAF7080A0AEB09B2E5B756970A3A27E0F1D17C8A243
 

Before you downgrade the platform image to an older version where the Secure Storage is not supported, you have to disable the feature in the version where it is supported. To disable Secure Storage, see Disabling Secure Storage.

If you do not disable this feature before downgrading to an older image, the private-config file will be in encrypted format. The following Syslog message will be generated to indicate that the file is in encrypted format:

%PARSER-4-BADCFG: Unexpected end of configuration file.

If the file is in ‘plain text’, no Syslog message will be generated.