Why You Should Use an HSM
Download the whitepaper to learn the dangers of not knowing where your cryptographic keys are stored and the benefits of using a hardware security module.
Cryptography protects your data. HSMs protect your cryptography.
The cryptographic keys that are used for encryption, decryption, and digital signing are some of your company’s most precious assets. The value of any key is equivalent to the value of all the data it protects, and the access and transactions it enables. If a key is compromised, it’s game over!
More important than the keys: where they’re kept.
Software-based encryption keys can be easily found by attackers trying to hack your systems. A single stolen or misallocated key could lead to a data breach.
The proven answer to securing the cryptographic keys and processes that protect your data is to keep them in a hardware security module (HSM).
Where are your cryptographic keys?
When you use an HSM to protect cryptographic keys, you add a robust layer of security, preventing attackers from finding them. nShield HSMs are specially designed to establish a root of trust, safeguarding and managing cryptographic keys and processes within a certified hardware environment. nShield HSMs, offered as an appliance deployed at an on-premises data center or leased through an as-a-service subscription, provide enhanced key generation, signing, and encryption to protect sensitive data and transactions.
Watch our webcast to learn the importance of generating, using, and storing your keys in a certified HSM.
Software security is soft security: Hardware is required.
John Pescatore, Gartner
HSM Use Cases
PKI
Generate, manage, and secure the keys used to sign your certificates and simplify regulatory compliance.
IoT
Establish unique identities to enable authentication and prevent counterfeiting of devices and applications.
Code Signing
Safeguard the keys used to digitally sign software, ensure its authenticity, and protect its integrity.
The Benefits of Using an HSM
Regulatory compliance
HSMs can help enable you to meet widely recognized government and industry mandates for financial, healthcare, and other sensitive data, such as FIPS, Common Criteria, GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS.
Secure, policy-controlled access
Role-based access control features allow you to apply policies for individual key containers, such as requiring a quorum of administrators to provide a smart card and PIN to unlock the key stored in the HSM.
Greater control
Use your own nShield HSMs in your own environment to create and securely export your keys to the cloud.
Stronger security
Stronger key generation using nShield’s high-entropy random number generator protected by FIPS-certified hardware.
Related Resources
Learn more about managing your keys with certified HSMs by downloading our white paper, 'HSMs: A Critical Component of an Enterprise's Cybersecurity Strategy'.