International Business Machines Corporation

Clifford L Hansen

Todd Weston Arnold

Elizabeth A Dames

Carsten D Frehr

Shelia M Sittinger

Richard Victor Kisley

David Wayne Glass

James Richard Coon

David Howard Evans

Garry Joseph Sullivan

Marco Pavone

Jonathan William Edwards

David Nguyen

Ross Martin Heninger

An approach is provided for distributing a root key to a hardware security module (HSM) of an HSM cluster. A signed first command is transmitted to a source HSM to create a master key. A fingerprint of the master key is received in a response signed by the source HSM using a module signing key hardcoded into the source HSM at manufacturing time. A second command is transmitted to a first HSM to generate an importer key pair. A request is transmitted to the source HSM to create and export a wrapped master key. The master key wrapped with a transport key is received. The wrapped master key is transmitted to the first HSM. The master key is activated in the first HSM.

Securely transporting a root key using a privately/public key pair for user-controlled authentication of nodes in a hardware security module cluster

Processing within a computing environment is facilitated by generating a hybrid security certificate using multiple cryptosystems. The generating includes obtaining data for inclusion in the hybrid security certificate, and generating a first digital signature associated with a first cryptosystem to cover the data, and a second digital signature associated with a second cryptosystem to cover the data. The generating further includes providing the hybrid security certificate, where the hybrid security certificate includes the data, the first digital signature associated with the first cryptosystem, and the second digital signature associated with the second cryptosystem, and where the first digital signature has no dependency on a key of the second cryptosystem or the second digital signature, and the second digital signature has no dependency on a key of the first cryptosystem or the first digital signature.

Generating a hybrid security certificate using multiple cryptosystems

A method that includes receiving, from a first entity having an input permission, a first data structure into a HSM, wherein the first data structure maps a first many-to-one mapping between a first and a second PIN numeral system. The method also includes determining whether the content of the first data structure is valid, storing the first data structure in the HSM if the first data structure is valid and marking the stored first data structure as inactive. The method further includes activating the first data structure if a second data structure is input into the HSM by a second entity having an activation permission, wherein the first entity is different from the second entity, the first data structure is identical to the second data structure. The method additionally includes converting from the first to the second PIN numeral system responsive to the activated first data structure.

Personal identification number security enhancement

A system for enhancing security of a personal identification number is configned for performing a method that includes receiving, from a first entity having an input permission, a first data structure into a HSM, wherein the first data structure maps a first many-to-one mapping between a first and a second PIN numeral system. The method also includes determining whether the content of the first data structure is valid, storing the first data structure in the HSM if the first data structure is valid and marking the stored first data structure as inactive. The method further includes activating the first data structure if a second data structure is input into the HSM by a second entity having an activation permission, wherein the first entity is different from the second entity, the first data structure is identical to the second data structure. The method additionally includes converting from the first to the second PIN numeral system responsive to the activated first data structure.

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Rochester, MN, United States of America

Clifford L Hansen