US 12,388,637 B2
Hardware security module proxy device for storage expansion
Jordi Íñigo Griera, Barcelona (ES)
Assigned to Entrust Corporation, Shakopee, MN (US)
Filed by Entrust Corporation, Shakopee, MN (US)
Filed on Mar. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/218,880.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/003,025, filed on Mar. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0306149 A1, Sep. 30, 2021
Int. Cl. H04L 9/08 (2006.01); H04L 9/32 (2006.01)
CPC H04L 9/0877 (2013.01) [H04L 9/0825 (2013.01); H04L 9/0894 (2013.01); H04L 9/3247 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of managing a signing request, the method comprising:
at a hardware security module (HSM) associated with a proxy HSM:
registering a signing key for use with the HSM, wherein registering the signing key for use with the HSM includes:
receiving a request from the proxy HSM at the HSM for generation of the signing key;
in response to the request, generating the signing key;
performing a wrapping operation at the HSM to create the wrapped version of the signing key;
transmitting the wrapped version of the signing key from the HSM to the proxy HSM; and
destroying the unwrapped version of the signing key at the HSM;
at the proxy hardware security module:
after registering the signing key for use with the HSM, receiving a signing request originated from a client device that is targeted to an HSM associated with the proxy HSM;
retrieving a wrapped version of the signing key that is required to fulfill the signing request;
providing, to the HSM, the signing request and the wrapped version of the signing key;
at the HSM:
unwrapping the wrapped version of the signing key using a wrapping key securely stored at the HSM to generate an unwrapped version of the signing key;
performing a signing operation using the unwrapped version of the signing key;
transmitting a signed response from the hardware security module to the proxy HSM;
further at the proxy HSM:
after receiving the signed response at the proxy HSM, transmitting a request initiated at the proxy HSM to destroy only the unwrapped version of the signing key from the proxy HSM to the hardware security module, the proxy HSM maintaining the wrapped version of the signing key external to the HSM;
receiving, at the proxy HSM, a confirmation message indicating destruction of the unwrapped version of the signing key at the HSM hardware security modulo while maintaining the wrapped version of the signing key at the proxy HSM; and
after receiving the confirmation message, transmitting the signed response from the proxy HSM to the client device.