Private keys can often be stolen or lost in ordinary device memory or file systems. HSMs ensure keys never leave the secure boundary.
Operating systems expose keys via storage, backups, or imports/exports. HSMs prevent this by handling cryptographic operations internally.
Algorithms like AES or RSA can be vulnerable to timing and power analysis. HSMs use hardened chips with protections against such attacks.
HSMs are designed to detect and respond to physical tampering attempts, often zeroizing keys to prevent compromise.
Industries such as finance and government require certified hardware (FIPS 140, Common Criteria) to store and manage cryptographic keys.
HSMs accelerate cryptographic operations at scale, enabling secure transaction signing, SSL/TLS offload, and certificate issuance.
Private keys are often mishandled or shared insecurely across parties. SHSM ensures keys are never transmitted to third parties — only the endpoint and secure SHSM server retain access, reducing leakage risks.
Keys stored in file systems, backups, or imports/exports are easily exposed. SHSM prevents this on the server side by using public key authentication, ephemeral TLS, and secure memory operations instead of persistent storage.
RSA and AES can be susceptible to side-channel attacks (timing/power analysis). SHSM reduces this risk by adopting EdDSA (Ed25519/Ed448) and stream ciphers, ensuring strong security without specialized hardware.
Organizations often lack secure workflows for multi-user authorization. SHSM enables policy-based group signing and encryption, supporting collective trust models without relying on physical HSMs.
Most hardware HSMs only support RSA, ECDSA, and AES. SHSM allows flexibility to adopt modern or post-quantum algorithms without waiting for vendor updates.
Most servers share resources, and when a machine only has a small amount of RAM (for example, 512 MB), the operating system will start using the hard disk as “backup memory” through something called a swap partition. This swap space is a reserved part of the disk where data from memory is temporarily stored when RAM runs out.
The problem: sensitive information from applications can accidentally end up written to the hard disk this way, leaving it exposed.
SHSM prevents this risk by using a hybrid approach: