HSM
Technology & Computing abbreviation · Cybersecurity
| Stands for | Hardware security module |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
HSM stands for Hardware security module, a cybersecurity abbreviation.
A tamper-resistant physical device that generates, stores and uses cryptographic keys so they never leave the hardware in readable form. Banks, certificate authorities, payment networks and cloud key services rely on HSMs.
Example: The CA's root private key lives in an offline HSM that requires two officers to activate.
Usage notes
HSMs are certified under standards such as FIPS 140-2 and FIPS 140-3, with higher levels requiring physical tamper response. Payment HSMs protect card PINs under PCI rules. Cloud providers offer dedicated HSMs and managed key services backed by them.
Related abbreviations
More cybersecurity abbreviations
- ECDSA – Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm
- EDR – Endpoint detection and response
- FIDO – Fast Identity Online
- GPG – GNU Privacy Guard
- GRC – Governance, risk and compliance
- HMAC – Hash-based message authentication code
- HSTS – HTTP Strict Transport Security
- IAM – Identity and access management
- IDS – Intrusion detection system
- IoC – Indicator of compromise
- IPS – Intrusion prevention system
- IR – Incident response