Secure Cryptographic Key Management with AWS CloudHSM

Introduction

AWS CloudHSM is a cloud-based Hardware Security Module (HSM) service enabling organizations to securely generate, store, and manage cryptographic keys. It provides dedicated, single-tenant HSMs that comply with FIPS 140-2 Level 3 security standards, making it ideal for industries with strict security and compliance requirements. Unlike AWS Key Management Service (KMS), AWS CloudHSM gives you full control over your cryptographic keys, allowing key export and import while ensuring that AWS has no access to your keys.

AWS CloudHSM supports many cryptographic operations, including symmetric and asymmetric encryption, hashing, and digital signatures. It seamlessly integrates with AWS services like Amazon EC2, Amazon RDS, and AWS CloudTrail, enabling secure encryption for applications, databases, and sensitive workloads. The service also allows clustering across multiple Availability Zones, ensuring high availability and fault tolerance for mission-critical operations. With its scalable and compliance-ready architecture, AWS CloudHSM is a powerful solution for enterprises that require secure key management without compromising performance or flexibility.

Advantages

1. Security & Compliance

• Dedicated Hardware: Each AWS CloudHSM instance is a dedicated physical device, offering better isolation and security than shared services.
• FIPS 140-2 Level 3 Compliance: Meets stringent security standards required for regulatory compliance.
• Tamper-Resistant Design: Protects against physical and logical attacks.

2. Full Control Over Cryptographic Keys

• Exclusive Key Ownership: AWS does not have access to your encryption keys.
• Custom Key Management Policies: You control key creation, storage, and deletion.
• Supports Key Export: Unlike AWS KMS, AWS CloudHSM allows you to export keys when needed.

3. Performance & Scalability

• Low Latency, High Throughput: Ideal for workloads requiring high-speed cryptographic operations.
• Cluster Scaling: Can scale across multiple availability zones for high availability and fault tolerance.

4. Integration & Flexibility

• Supports Standard APIs: Works with PKCS#11, JCE (Java Cryptography Extension), and OpenSSL.
• Compatible with Multiple Applications: Can be used with databases (e.g., Oracle TDE, SQL Server), web apps, and blockchain solutions.
• Integrates with AWS Services: Works with Amazon RDS, Amazon EC2, and other AWS offerings.

5. Managed Service Benefits

• Simplified Administration: AWS manages hardware provisioning, maintenance, and software updates.
• Automated Backups & High Availability: Reduces operational overhead while ensuring resilience.

When to Use AWS CloudHSM Instead of AWS KMS?

• When you need full control over cryptographic keys.
• When regulatory requirements mandate dedicated HSMs (e.g., FIPS 140-2 Level 3).
• When you need to export and migrate encryption keys outside AWS.
• When handling high-performance cryptographic workloads.

Steps to Enable and Use AWS CloudHSM key in AWS

Step 1: Prerequisites

1. Amazon VPC with private subnets for HSM cluster deployment
2. AWS CLI and AWS CloudHSM CLI are installed on your local system

Step 2: Create AWS CloudHSM Cluster

1. Navigate to AWS CloudHSM Console

• Go to AWS CloudHSM Console
• Click Create Cluster
• Select your Amazon VPC and at least two private subnets (multi-AZ recommended)
• Choose HSM Type (latest version recommended)
• Click Create Cluster

2. Initialize the Cluster

• After creation, the cluster status will be Uninitialized
• Click on the cluster and copy the Cluster ID
• Run the following AWS CLI command to initialize:

Command

• Wait for the status to change to Active.

Step 3: Create and Activate HSM Instance

1. Add an HSM to the Cluster

• In AWS CloudHSM Console, go to the Cluster
• Click Actions > Add HSM
• Select a private subnet and click Add

2. Connect to the HSM Instance

• Use an Amazon EC2 instance in the same Amazon VPC private subnet as the HSM
• Install the AWS CloudHSM CLI on the Amazon EC2 instance:

Command

• Connect via SSH and verify the HSM is reachable:

Command

Step 4: Configure Users and Keys in AWS CloudHSM

1. Create a Crypto Officer (CO) User

• The Crypto Officer (CO) manages key creation
• Log in to the HSM:

Command

• Create a CO user:

Command

• Exit the management utility:

Command

2. Verify HSM Functionality

• Run the following command to list users:

Command

Step 5: Integrate AWS CloudHSM with AWS KMS

1. Enable AWS KMS Custom Key Store

• Go to AWS KMS Console
• Click Custom Key Stores
• Select Create a Custom Key Store
• Enter CloudHSM Cluster ID
• Provide the CO user credentials
• Click Create Custom Key Store

2. Activate the Custom Key Store

• Once created, select the key store
• Click Connect to enable integration with KMS

3. Create a Customer Managed Key (CMK) in KMS

• Go to AWS KMS Console > Customer Managed Keys
• Click Create Key
• Select Key Type (Symmetric or Asymmetric)
• Choose CloudHSM Custom Key Store as the key store
• Define AWS IAM policies and key rotation settings
• Click Create Key

Step 6: Validate the AWS CloudHSM-AWS KMS Integration

• List available keys in AWS KMS using AWS CLI:

Command

• Encrypt and decrypt test data using CloudHSM-backed KMS key:

Command

Step 7: Enable AWS CloudHSM High Availability

• Add multiple HSMs in different AZs for fault tolerance

Enable automatic backups to prevent data loss

Conclusion

Its seamless integration with AWS services like Amazon EC2, Amazon RDS, and AWS KMS makes it an ideal choice for organizations requiring strong security, compliance, and performance in cloud-based cryptographic operations.

Drop a query if you have any questions regarding AWS CloudHSM and we will get back to you quickly.

About CloudThat

CloudThat is a leading provider of Cloud Training and Consulting services with a global presence in India, the USA, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Specializing in AWS, Microsoft Azure, GCP, VMware, Databricks, and more, the company serves mid-market and enterprise clients, offering comprehensive expertise in Cloud Migration, Data Platforms, DevOps, IoT, AI/ML, and more.

CloudThat is the first Indian Company to win the prestigious Microsoft Partner 2024 Award and is recognized as a top-tier partner with AWS and Microsoft, including the prestigious ‘Think Big’ partner award from AWS and the Microsoft Superstars FY 2023 award in Asia & India. Having trained 650k+ professionals in 500+ cloud certifications and completed 300+ consulting projects globally, CloudThat is an official AWS Advanced Consulting Partner, Microsoft Gold Partner, AWS Training Partner, AWS Migration Partner, AWS Data and Analytics Partner, AWS DevOps Competency Partner, AWS GenAI Competency Partner, Amazon QuickSight Service Delivery Partner, Amazon EKS Service Delivery Partner,  AWS Microsoft Workload Partners, Amazon EC2 Service Delivery Partner, Amazon ECS Service Delivery Partner, AWS Glue Service Delivery Partner, Amazon Redshift Service Delivery Partner, AWS Control Tower Service Delivery Partner, AWS WAF Service Delivery Partner, Amazon CloudFront, Amazon OpenSearch, AWS DMS, AWS Systems Manager, Amazon RDS, and many more.