HSM (Hardware Security Module)
Hardware security modules are digital security devices which are used to protect digital credentials and data. The purpose of a hardware security module is to provide additional levels of security to protect digital information, such as encryption keys, certificates and passwords. HSM’s provide a secure cryptographic environment for storage and processing of digital information.
HSM’s are normally located in an isolated hardware environment which provides an extremely secure environment for data processing. This isolated environment can be physically located within the same facility or within a trusted third party facility. The hardware security module is designed and tested to be resilient to physical tampering, as it uses hardware-level security to protect data from unauthorised access.
The hardware security module provides a secure connection between a primary computer system and an external network. This secure connection prevents the transmission of sensitive data across a traditional, ‘uncertified’ network channel. Instead, the communication between the primary computer and the external network is handled through the hardware security module, which is certified to be secure.
The main function of a hardware security is to protect the confidentiality and integrity of data in storage and during transmission. This is accomplished by a variety of security measures, such as encryption technology and access control systems. Encryption, or the scrambling of information, is an especially important feature of the hardware security module since it prevents unauthorised entities from being able to access the data. An access control system is also used to protect the data from unauthorised access and use, by only allowing specific users to access the data.
In conclusion, hardware security modules provide a secure, trusted and certified environment for storage, processing and transmission of digital information, and is especially useful for confidential or sensitive data. The main purpose of the hardware security module is to provide a secure connection between the internal network and external network, while protecting the data from unauthorised access.
