| Criteria | Requirement | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| FIPS 140-2/3 Validation | Must be FIPS 140-2 Level 3 (or FIPS 140-3 Level 3) validated | Required by PCI PIN and P2PE; strongly recommended for general PCI DSS key protection |
| Tamper Resistance | Physical and logical tamper detection/response (e.g., zeroization on breach) | Prevents key extraction if device is compromised |
| Secure Key Storage | Keys never leave HSM in plaintext; all crypto operations inside HSM | Meets PCI DSS Req 3.5–3.7 |
| High Availability & Scalability | Clustering, load balancing, failover support | Ensures uptime for payment systems |
| APIs & Integration | Supports PKCS#11, Java JCA/JCE, Microsoft CNG, REST (for cloud) | Enables integration with apps, databases, payment switches |
| Audit Logging | Immutable, time-stamped logs of all operations | Supports PCI DSS Req 10 (logging & monitoring) |
| Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) | Separation of duties (e.g., crypto officer vs. auditor) | Aligns with PCI DSS Req 7 & 8 |
| Cloud or On-Prem? | Choose cloud HSM (e.g., AWS CloudHSM, Azure Dedicated HSM, GCP Cloud HSM) or on-prem appliance (e.g., Thales, Entrust, Utimaco) | Cloud HSMs simplify scalability; on-prem offers full control |
Created
October 13, 2025 12:49
-
-
Save kardesyazilim/0d8624b5b49af661b2e0d5dd1934492b to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Essential HSM Selection Criteria for PCI DSS
Sign up for free
to join this conversation on GitHub.
Already have an account?
Sign in to comment