// Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) are tamper-resistant physical devices that safeguard cryptographic keys and perform cryptographic operations in a hardened environment. Keys stored in an HSM never lea
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| name | configuring-hsm-for-key-storage |
| description | Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) are tamper-resistant physical devices that safeguard cryptographic keys and perform cryptographic operations in a hardened environment. Keys stored in an HSM never lea |
| domain | cybersecurity |
| subdomain | cryptography |
| tags | ["cryptography","hsm","key-management","pkcs11","hardware-security"] |
| version | 1.0 |
| author | mahipal |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| nist_ai_rmf | ["MEASURE-2.7","MAP-5.1","MANAGE-2.4"] |
| atlas_techniques | ["AML.T0070","AML.T0066","AML.T0082"] |
| nist_csf | ["PR.DS-01","PR.DS-02","PR.DS-10"] |
Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) are tamper-resistant physical devices that safeguard cryptographic keys and perform cryptographic operations in a hardened environment. Keys stored in an HSM never leave the device boundary, providing the highest level of key protection. This skill covers configuring HSMs using the PKCS#11 standard interface, including key generation, signing, encryption, and key management using both physical HSMs and SoftHSM2 for development.
| FIPS Level | Protection | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| FIPS 140-2 Level 1 | Software only | Development |
| FIPS 140-2 Level 2 | Tamper-evident, role-based auth | General production |
| FIPS 140-2 Level 3 | Tamper-resistant, identity-based auth | Financial, government |
| FIPS 140-2 Level 4 | Physical tamper response | Military, classified |
Application --> PKCS#11 API --> HSM Provider --> Hardware HSM
|
(SoftHSM2 for dev)
| Object Type | Description | Operations |
|---|---|---|
| CKO_SECRET_KEY | Symmetric keys (AES) | Encrypt, Decrypt, Wrap |
| CKO_PUBLIC_KEY | Public keys (RSA, EC) | Verify, Encrypt, Wrap |
| CKO_PRIVATE_KEY | Private keys (RSA, EC) | Sign, Decrypt, Unwrap |
| CKO_CERTIFICATE | X.509 certificates | Storage, retrieval |