Audit and backup procedures for hardware security modules

Abstract

Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) are an useful tool to deploy public key infrastructure (PKI) and its applications. This paper presents necessary procedures and protocols to perform backup and audit in such devices when deployed in PKIs. These protocols were evaluated in an implementation of a real HSM, enabling it to perform secure backups and to provide an audit trail, two important considerations for a safe PKI operation. It also introduces a ceremony procedure to support the operation of such HSMs in a PKI environment.