India: World’s highest HSM user

Mumbai’s nCipher Security said its nShield Connect XC hardware security module (HSM) is now certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), allowing to protect sensitive data, network communications and enterprise infrastructure from cyberattacks.

The certification allows BIS-approved, high-assurance security foundation for nCipher, an Entrust Datacard company and provider of trust, integrity and control for business-critical information and applications.

India is one of the countries with the world’s highest HSM usage (54% against the global average of 47%), according to the 2019 Global Encryption Trends Study from the Ponemon Institute, driven by organizations embracing the cloud and new digital initiatives such as the internet of things (IoT), blockchain and digital payments.

That number is expected to grow as the country embarks on its Digital India initiative, continues to roll out the Aadhaar biometric ID system, and furthers its Smart Cities Mission.

It said nShield HSMs are hardened, tamper-resistant appliances that perform functions including encryption, digital signing, and cryptographic key generation and protection.

With their comprehensive capabilities, nShield HSMs support an extensive range of applications, including certificate authorities and code signing, said nCipher on 1 Oct 2019.

As the national standards body of India, the BIS sets parameters for ensuring the quality, safety, and reliability of products entering the Indian market, and is mandatory for many IT products, including HSMs.

By earning BIS certification for nShield Connect XC HSMs, nCipher reaffirms nCipher’s position as an HSM market leader, committed to helping customers meet compliance needs around the world. Over 1,000 organizations rely on nCipher HSMs, including 5 of the top 10 Fortune 100 companies.

“nCipher has long championed best practices and industry standards. Achieving BIS certification demonstrates our commitment to the Indian market and to the highest security standards and compliance requirements,” said Philip Schreiber, regional director, Middle East, Africa and South Asia at nCipher Security.

“We are pleased that the BIS has certified nCipher’s ability to meet its high cybersecurity standards,” he added.

nCipher nShield HSMs are also certified to FIPS-140-2 level 3 – a standard defined by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology and the most widely adopted security benchmark for cryptographic solutions in government and commercial enterprises – and the international Common Criteria EAL4+. fiinews.com