nCipher Security, the provider of trust, integrity and control for business critical information and applications, announces its nShield hardware security modules (HSMs) support Red Hat's integration of the OpenStack Key Management System, derived from the community project Barbican. This facilitates more secure storage, transport and management of secrets and keys used by applications deployed on Red Hat OpenStack Platform. Collaborating together, nCipher and Red Hat give customers the ability to more effectively adopt an enhanced cloud security strategy. nShield HSMs already integrate with Red Hat Certificate System, a scalable platform for public key infrastructure.

According to the 2018 Global Encryption Trends Study, 84% of respondents use the cloud for sensitive/non-sensitive applications and data today, or will do so in the next 12-24 months. As a result, enterprises need to take steps so that critical data processed via the cloud can have the highest level of security. While encryption is used with most cloud applications to control access and protect the integrity of data, organizations tend to rely on custom-built key stores in various locations with varying degrees of protection. Without a common key management system, cryptographic material is not centrally stored and managed and that can leave data vulnerable to attack.

The integration of nShield HSMs with the OpenStack Key Management System delivers uniform control and scalability, enabling sensitive key material to be safeguarded within a secure boundary. nShield Connect HSMs also provide a FIPS 140-2 Level 3 and Common Criteria EAL 4+ root of trust for Red Hat OpenStack Platform, and perform critical operations such as key generation, lifecycle management and revocation. With these certifications, customers can use this solution to meet or exceed several regulatory baselines, including FedRAMP High, FISMA, and ANSSI.

Nick Barcet, Senior Director of OpenStack Product Management at Red Hat says:

"Securing data in hybrid cloud deployments is frequently a critical customer need, one that can be addressed by delivering a more secure and consistent cloud computing foundation. Red Hat OpenStack Platform is designed to provide this foundation and we're pleased to collaborate with nCipher, expanding the security capabilities of our cloud platform to better work with nShield Connect HSMs and providing a more comprehensive solution to help meet stringent cloud security needs for our customers."

Peter Galvin, Chief Strategy Officer at nCipher Security says:

"In today's fast moving digital environment, organizations are increasingly moving workloads to the cloud, where they can depend on nCipher to deliver flexible solutions with the highest levels of assurance - delivering trust, integrity and control to their business critical information in private, public or hybrid cloud environments. This latest integration with Red Hat OpenStack not only gives customers a higher level of assurance and puts them in control of their sensitive key material, but also helps meet stringent industry and government compliance mandates."