HSM Capabilities and Policies

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HSM Capabilities and Policies

HSM capabilities describe the SafeNet USB HSM's configuration. They are set a manufacture according to the model you selected at time of purchase. Capabilities can only be modified by purchase and application of capability updates.

HSM policies correspond to a subset of capabilities that allow you to modify the HSM functions. Policies can be modified to provide greater security based on your specific needs. They can never be modified to be less secure than the corresponding capability.

To view the HSM capability and policy settings, .

To modify HSM policies, login as HSM SO and use the -policy <policy#> -value <0/1>.

See for command syntax.

To zeroize the HSM and reset the policies to their default values, use hsm factoryreset.

Destructiveness

In some cases, changing an HSM policy zeroizes all application partitions or the entire HSM as a security measure. These policies are listed as destructive.

HSM Capability and Policy Descriptions

The table below summarizes the relationships and provides a brief description of the purpose and operation of each capability and policy.

#	HSM Capability	HSM Policy	Description
0	Enable PIN-based authentication		If allowed, the HSM authenticates all users with keyboard-entered passwords.
1	Enable PED-based authentication		If allowed, the HSM authenticates users with secrets stored on physical PED keys, read by a SafeNet Luna PED. The Crypto Officer and Crypto User roles may also be configured with a secondary, keyboard-entered challenge secret.
2	Performance level		Numerical value indicates the performance level of this HSM: •4: Standard performance ~1700 1024-bit RSA signature/second •15: Maximum performance ~7000 1024-bit RSA signatures/second
4	Enable domestic mechanisms & key sizes		Always allowed. All current SafeNet Luna HSMs are capable of full-strength cryptography with no US export restrictions.
6	Enable masking	Allow masking Destructive	If enabled, the SafeNet USB HSM is capable of SIM, and this feature can be turned on or off by the HSM SO. If disabled, the SafeNet USB HSM is not capable of SIM, and there is no way to for the HSM SO to change this.
7	Enable cloning	Allow cloning Destructive	If allowed, the HSM is capable of cloning cryptographic objects from one partition to another. This policy must be enabled to backup partitions over a network or create HA groups. Partition Security Officers may then enable/disable cloning on individual partitions.
8	Enable special cloning certificate		Always disallowed on current SafeNet USB HSM. No vendor-specific cloning certificates can be loaded onto the HSM.
9	Enable full (non-backup) functionality		If allowed, the HSM is capable of full cryptographic functions. This capability is only disallowed on SafeNet Luna Backup HSMs.
12	Enable non-FIPS algorithms	Allow non-FIPS algorithms Destructive	If allowed, the HSM can use all available cryptographic algorithms. If disallowed, only algorithms sanctioned by the FIPS 140-2 standard are permitted. The following is displayed in the output from :
15	Enable SO reset of partition PIN	SO can reset partition PIN Destructive	If allowed, a Partition SO can reset the password or PED secret of a Crypto Officer who has been locked out after too many bad login attempts. If disallowed, the lockout is permanent and the partition contents are no longer accessible. The partition must be re-initialized, and key material restored from a backup device. See Failed Logins for more information.
16	Enable network replication	Allow network replication	If allowed, cryptographic object cloning is permitted over a network. This is required for HA groups, and for partition backup to a remote or client-connected SafeNet Luna Backup HSM. If disallowed, cloning over a network is not permitted. Partition backup is possible to a locally-connected SafeNet Luna Backup HSM only. Setting this policy to 0 means that only the HSM SO can backup partitions. This capability is allowed only on cloning HSM versions, and is disallowed on Key-Export HSM versions.
17	Enable Korean Algorithms	Allow Korean algorithms	If allowed, the SafeNet USB HSM can use the Korean algorithm set. This capability may be purchased as an upgrade. See Software Maintenance and Updates.
18	FIPS evaluated		Always disallowed - deprecated policy. All SafeNet USB HSMs are capable of operating in FIPS Mode.
19	Manufacturing Token		N/A (SafeNet internal use only)
20	Enable Remote Authentication	Allow Remote Authentication Destructive	Deprecated policy - Remote Authentication is no longer supported. The feature is replaced by Remote PED.
21	Enable forcing user PIN change	Force user PIN change after set/reset	If allowed, when a Partition SO initializes the Crypto Officer role (or resets the password/PED secret), the CO must change the credential with role changepw before any other actions are permitted. The same is true when the CO initializes/resets the Crypto User role. This policy is intended to enforce the separation of roles on the partition. If disallowed, the CO/CU may continue to use the credential assigned by the Partition SO.
22	Enable portable masking key	Allow off-board storage Destructive	Allows or disallows the use of the portable SIM key.
23	Enable partition groups		Always disallowed - deprecated policy.
25	Enable Remote PED usage	Allow Remote PED usage	Always enabled on PED-authenticated SafeNet USB HSMs. All PED-authenticated HSMs are capable of connecting to a local PED or a remotely-located PED server. The HSM SO may turn this feature on or off.
26	Enable external storage of MTK split		Allows one of the splits of the MTK, the Secure Recovery Vector, to be stored outside the HSM on a purple Secure Recovery PED Key. Used for Secure Transport Mode, and for controlled/supervised recovery from tamper events. The policy associated with this capability is set automatically when the lLunaSH command hsm srk enable is run. If that command is never run, both MTK splits remain inside the HSM and recovery from tamper is automatic after restart. Not applicable to password-authenticated SafeNet USB HSMs.
27	HSM non-volatile storage space		Displays the non-volatile maximum storage space (in bytes) on the HSM. This is determined by the model of SafeNet USB HSM you selected at time of purchase.
29	Enable Acceleration	Allow Acceleration Destructive	If allowed, provides best performance for key generation (RSA,DSA, KCDSA) and HMAC operations.
30	Enable Unmasking	Allow unmasking	If allowed, cryptographic material can be migrated from legacy SafeNet appliances that used SIM.
31	Enable FW5 compatibility mode		Not applicable to SafeNet USB HSMs.
33	Maximum number of partitions		Displays the maximum number of application partitions that can be created on the HSM. The number of allowable partitions can be upgraded with a separate purchase. See Software Maintenance and Updates for more information.
34	Enable ECIES support	Allow ECIES	Elliptic Curve Integrated Encryption Scheme is enabled by a purchased Capability Update. When the CUF is applied, a Policy setting becomes available to switch ECIES off and on.This is a non-FIPS algorithm. If Allow non-FIPS algorithms is set to ON, that setting overrides this one.
35	Enable Single Domain		Not applicable to SafeNet USB HSMs.
36	Enable Unified PED Key		Not applicable to SafeNet USB HSMs.
37	Enable MofN	Allow MofN	If allowed on PED-authenticated SafeNet USB HSMs, this policy enables you to split a PED secret among multiple PED keys (see Using MofN). If disallowed, users will no longer be asked to split a PED secret (M and N automatically set to 1). Always disallowed on password-authenticated HSMs.
38	Enable small form factor backup/restore		Enabled by a purchased capability update - backup the contents of an HSM partition to a SafeNet eToken 7300, by means of a SafeNet PED. Requires that Masking be enabled and allowed.
40	Enable decommission on tamper		Not applicable to SafeNet USB HSMs.
41	Enable Per-Partition SO		If allowed, the HSM SO can create PPSO partitions. Each PPSO partition has its own Security Officer with administrative control, allowing full separation of roles across the HSM.
42	Enable partition re-initialize	Allow partition re-initialize	Not applicable to SafeNet USB HSMs.