AWS CloudHSM

AWS CloudHSM is a cloud-based hardware security module (HSM) that enables you to generate and use your own encryption keys in the AWS Cloud. CloudHSM helps you comply with strict security and regulatory requirements by providing secure key storage and cryptographic operations within a tamper-resistant hardware device.

Key Features

• Dedicated Hardware: CloudHSM provides dedicated, single-tenant hardware security modules that are exclusively used by your organization.
• FIPS 140-2 Level 3 Compliance: CloudHSM meets the stringent FIPS 140-2 Level 3 security standard, making it suitable for highly regulated industries.
• Secure Key Storage: All cryptographic keys are stored in hardware, ensuring that they are never exposed outside the HSM.
• Scalable and Elastic: CloudHSM scales elastically with your needs, allowing you to add or remove HSMs as required without downtime.
• Cryptographic Operations: Supports a wide range of cryptographic operations, including key generation, encryption, decryption, and digital signing.
• Integration with AWS Services: Easily integrates with AWS services like Amazon RDS, Amazon Redshift, and AWS KMS for secure key management.
• Full Key Control: You have full control over the keys stored in the CloudHSM, including the ability to import or export keys as needed.

Common Use Cases

• Regulatory Compliance: Use CloudHSM to meet strict regulatory and compliance requirements, such as those found in financial services, healthcare, and government sectors.
• Data Encryption: Securely encrypt sensitive data using keys stored in CloudHSM, ensuring that keys are never exposed outside the HSM.
• Digital Signatures: Perform digital signing operations for documents, code, or transactions using keys stored in CloudHSM.
• Key Management: Manage cryptographic keys securely, with full control over key lifecycle and access.
• Secure Key Storage for Applications: Store and use cryptographic keys in a secure, tamper-resistant hardware environment for applications that require high security.

Architecture Overview

The following diagram illustrates the architecture of AWS CloudHSM:

• Dedicated HSM Instances: CloudHSM provides dedicated HSM instances that are provisioned in your AWS VPC, ensuring secure network isolation.
• Secure Communication: Applications communicate securely with CloudHSM over a secure TLS connection, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality.
• Key Management: Keys are securely generated, stored, and used within the HSM, with full control over key access and lifecycle management.
• Integration with AWS Services: CloudHSM integrates with various AWS services, enabling secure key management and cryptographic operations.

Integration with Other AWS Services

AWS CloudHSM integrates seamlessly with various AWS services to enhance security and streamline key management:

• Amazon RDS: Use CloudHSM to store and manage encryption keys for Amazon RDS databases, ensuring secure data encryption at rest.
• Amazon Redshift: Integrate CloudHSM with Amazon Redshift to securely manage encryption keys for data stored in your Redshift clusters.
• AWS KMS: Use CloudHSM as a custom key store in AWS Key Management Service (KMS) for applications that require higher levels of security and compliance.
• AWS Lambda: Securely perform cryptographic operations in Lambda functions using keys stored in CloudHSM.

Things to Remember for the Exam

• Dedicated Hardware: AWS CloudHSM provides dedicated HSM instances, ensuring that your cryptographic keys are stored in a single-tenant, tamper-resistant hardware device.
• FIPS 140-2 Compliance: CloudHSM is compliant with FIPS 140-2 Level 3, which is a key point to remember when discussing security and regulatory requirements in the exam.
• Full Key Control: Unlike AWS KMS, where AWS manages the key material, CloudHSM gives you full control over the cryptographic keys, including the ability to export keys if needed.
• Integration with AWS KMS: CloudHSM can be used as a custom key store in AWS KMS, allowing you to manage your keys in a dedicated HSM while still leveraging KMS's ease of use.
• Secure Key Storage: All keys are stored in hardware, and they are never exposed outside of the HSM. This ensures that even AWS does not have access to your keys.
• Scalability: Remember that CloudHSM is scalable, allowing you to add or remove HSMs based on your needs without incurring downtime.
• Use Cases: Common use cases include securing encryption keys for regulatory compliance, performing digital signatures, and managing sensitive cryptographic operations.