Containerization is the architectural model of choice in forward-thinking cloud and enterprise deployments for those seeking the benefits containers offer in terms of scaling, flexibility and orchestration. Using small, well-defined, isolated functional blocks of code containers are the virtualized antithesis of the traditional large monolithic software application of yesteryear but lend themselves well to the new dynamic, scalable world of today.

However, many organizations and their developers, while keen to embrace the bright new world of containerization, have yet to actually cut their teeth in developing and deploying containers. For some of these developers the barrier may be how to port legacy applications – particularly those tightly integrated with a hardware security module (HSM), which are tamper-resistant hardware products designed to create and use cryptographic keys in a robust secure environment. In these deployments the developers appreciate the role of the HSM in securely handling cryptographic transactions in their legacy application but are unsure how to go about porting that into a containerized world. It feels like a technically challenging pain that they could do without!

Another barrier may be for developers working with containerized applications who appreciate the benefits of implementing security cryptographic operations in hardware but are unfamiliar with the complexities of high assurance HSM integration. For them the problem is how do they go about integrating their containerized application with an HSM? How can they design it to flex and scale as their dynamic containerized apps are spun up and torn down? Additionally, let’s not forget the time constraints. Can this be done in a timely fashion without spending months noodling around trying to figure it out?

The nShield Container Option Pack was introduced in January 2020 by Entrust to help to break down these adoption barriers. It provides a proven, scalable, dynamic, on-premises or cloud-ready architecture delivered by a set of scripts which delivers a robust, seamless integration of nShield HSMs with containerized apps.

Are you a developer working on a new containerized project, where small well defined applications or micro services are in play? Perhaps you are in the IoT space, smart metering, technology, healthcare or financial sector? If so, consider using the nShield Container Option Pack in conjunction with nShield HSMs. It will get you up and running quickly using FIPS 140-2 and Common Criteria certified HSMs while providing unlimited dynamic support for your containerized applications.

Download the data sheet to learn more about the nShield Container Option Pack and visit Entrust’s dedicated cloud security landing page here.