Tampering the HSM

The tampering of the HSM may be necessary at the end of its lifecycle or any other security-sensitive event that requires all stored data to be immediately destroyed.

A tamper formats the secure memory of the HSM and thereby erases all configuration and key data.

Due to the highly destructive nature of this action, tampering the HSM is the responsibility of the device administrator and is performed using the ProtectToolkit-M administration utility. Note that this action also requires that all sessions have been closed and that no user is accessing the HSM.

To tamper the HSM

1.Launch the administration utility from the Start menu by selecting Start > Programs > SafeNet > ProtectToolkit M > gmadmin.

2.Select the desired HSM from the Active Adapters list.

3.Open the Adapter menu and choose Tamper.

4.The administration utility will now prompt for the device administrator password. Correct entry of the password will show a final confirmation dialog to ensure that this is the desired course of action.

5.Press Yes to tamper the HSM, or No to Cancel.

NOTE   The above action cannot tamper the HSM while other applications are active. The administration utility will indicate if the tamper operation was successful. A white cross on a red background shown next to the selected HSM indicates that the device is tampered.