Hardware Security Modulates

A Hardware Security Module HSM ( Material Module of Safety ) is an apparatus considered as inviolable offering cryptographic functions . It is about an electronic material offering a security service which consists to generate, store and protect from the cryptographic key . This material perhaps a plug-in electronic chart NCV on a computer or an external case SCSI/IP for example.

It is possible also to obtain this service in a software way Software Security Module but a material module gets more an high level of safety.

HSMs should answer the international standards of safety such FIPS PUB 140-2, Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules and Common Criteria EAL4+ and support API cryptographic the major PKCS#11, CryptoAPI, and Java JCA/JCE.

The confidence which one can grant to an infrastructure with public key is based on the integrity of the Autorité of certification (AC). The certificate of this authority holds the cryptographic key of signature root. This key is used to sign the public keys of those which will hold certificates of this authority. But especially this key signs its own public key. When this key is compromised all the certificates signed by the authority of certification are suspect and the credibility of the authority of destroyed certification. From where importance to protect this key and its use, HSM answering this need.

Suppliers of HSM

http://www.thales-esecurity.com/
http://www.banksys.com/
http://www.ibm.com/
http://www.arx.com/products/privateserver.php
http://www.ncipher.com/
http://www.safenet-inc.com/
http://www.sun.com/products/networking/sslaccel/suncryptoaccel6000/index.xml
http://www.bull.com/security/crypt2pay_characteristics.html
http://www.futurex.com/
http://www.utimaco.fr/
REALSEC - Cryptosec 2048

State of the certification of modules HSM

http://csrc.nist.gov/cryptval/140-1/140val-all.htm

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