Hardware Security Module (HSM)

Updated 25 Jul 2026

•
def
- •
  high-end, dedicated cryptographic hardware (a plug-in card or separate device) used in large environments to securely store and process thousands of cryptographic keys
•
why a GPU
- •
  built around a graphics processing unit (GPU) rather than a general-purpose CPU; a CPU is a time-share processor optimized for juggling many different tasks, while a GPU is math-focused and much better suited to the large-number cryptographic calculations asymmetric encryption requires
•
features
- •
  used in clusters with redundant power for large environments
- •
  secure hardware-based key backup
- •
  acts as a cryptographic accelerator, offloading CPU overhead from other devices
•
related
- •
  Trusted Platform Module (TPM)
- •
  Asymmetric Encryption

Linked references 4