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nCipher nShield General Purpose HSM VS Thales SafeNet Luna HSM

Compare nCipher nShield General Purpose HSM VS Thales SafeNet Luna HSM and see what are their differences

nCipher nShield General Purpose HSM logo nCipher nShield General Purpose HSM

nCipher nShield General Purpose HSM is a security solution that provides modules in order to achieve cryptographic algorithms like managing encryption and signing keys, as well as executing sensitive functions within the organization.

Thales SafeNet Luna HSM logo Thales SafeNet Luna HSM

Thales SafeNet Luna HSM is an open-source HSM that protects encryption keys used by applications in on-premises, virtual, and cloud environments.
  • nCipher nShield General Purpose HSM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-08
  • Thales SafeNet Luna HSM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-10

nCipher nShield General Purpose HSM features and specs

  • High Security
    nCipher nShield HSMs provide a high assurance level of security to protect cryptographic keys and operations, ensuring that sensitive information is well protected from unauthorized access.
  • Compliance and Certification
    They are certified to meet stringent security standards such as FIPS 140-2 Level 3 and Common Criteria, which aid organizations in achieving compliance with various regulatory requirements.
  • Comprehensive API Support
    nShield HSMs support a wide range of APIs including PKCS#11, Microsoft CAPI and CNG, JCE, and more, making them highly versatile and compatible with various applications.
  • Scalability
    These HSMs are designed to meet the scalability needs of growing businesses, allowing expansion as demand for cryptographic operations increases.
  • Enhanced Performance
    Users benefit from high-performance cryptographic operations, which help maintain system efficiency, especially under heavy loads.

Possible disadvantages of nCipher nShield General Purpose HSM

  • High Cost
    The upfront and ongoing costs of purchasing and maintaining nShield HSMs can be high, which may be a concern for smaller organizations with limited budgets.
  • Complex Integration
    Integrating these devices into existing IT infrastructure can be complex, requiring specialized knowledge and potential modifications to legacy systems.
  • Maintenance and Management
    The requirement for ongoing management and regular maintenance might demand additional resources and skilled personnel, adding to the overall operational cost.
  • Physical Space Requirement
    nShield HSMs require physical space within a secure environment, which might be a limitation for organizations with restricted data center space.
  • Dependency on Hardware
    As a hardware-based solution, these HSMs create a dependency on physical devices, which might not align with organizations moving towards fully virtualized or cloud environments.

Thales SafeNet Luna HSM features and specs

  • High Security
    Thales SafeNet Luna HSM provides robust security measures, including tamper-resistance and strong encryption, ensuring sensitive data and cryptographic keys are protected against unauthorized access.
  • Performance
    Thales SafeNet Luna HSM delivers high cryptographic performance, making it suitable for applications that require fast processing speeds and large volumes of transactions.
  • Compliance
    It supports compliance with various industry standards and regulations (e.g., FIPS 140-2, Common Criteria), making it easier for organizations to meet their legal and security requirements.
  • Scalability
    The device is designed to be scalable, accommodating growing business needs without compromising performance or security.
  • Integration
    Thales SafeNet Luna HSM offers seamless integration with a variety of platforms and applications, helping to streamline its adoption across different environments.

Possible disadvantages of Thales SafeNet Luna HSM

  • Cost
    The cost of acquiring and maintaining Thales SafeNet Luna HSM can be high, which may be a barrier for small to medium-sized enterprises.
  • Complexity
    Implementing and managing HSMs can be complex and may require specialized knowledge and training for IT staff.
  • Initial Setup
    The initial setup and configuration process can be time-consuming and may require expert input to ensure optimal performance and security.
  • Physical Security
    As a hardware device, it requires physical security measures to protect against theft or damage, adding another layer of responsibility for the organization.
  • Vendor Dependence
    Organizations may become dependent on Thales for support and updates, which could pose a challenge if the vendor's responsiveness or service quality does not meet expectations.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to nCipher nShield General Purpose HSM and Thales SafeNet Luna HSM)
Security & Privacy
45 45%
55% 55
Password Management
46 46%
54% 54
Network & Admin
43 43%
57% 57
Monitoring Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Thales SafeNet Luna HSM seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

nCipher nShield General Purpose HSM mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of nCipher nShield General Purpose HSM yet. Tracking of nCipher nShield General Purpose HSM recommendations started around Dec 2021.

Thales SafeNet Luna HSM mentions (1)

  • Compromised Microsoft Key: More Impactful Than We Thought
    One of the most popular HSM is Thales Luna Network HSM, which can perform 20,000 ECC operations per second [1]. Even with the size of Azure AD, Microsoft may not need a lot of HSMs for signing purpose. HSMs are not particularly easy to manage though, maybe that is one of reasons they are not used as much as they should be. [1] https://cpl.thalesgroup.com/encryption/hardware-security-modules/network-hsms. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing nCipher nShield General Purpose HSM and Thales SafeNet Luna HSM, you can also consider the following products

AWS CloudHSM - Data Security

Yubico YubiHSM - YubiHSM is cryptographic protection for servers, applications, and computing devices.

Utimaco SecurityServer - Utimaco SecurityServer is a Hardware Security Module that offers cryptographic key security for database servers no matter how large scale your organization is.

Amazon Key Management Service - Sysadmin

Unbound Key Control - Unbound Key Control is a software suite that provides visibility, control, and audit of secrets across hybrid multi-cloud environments.

Azure Dedicated HSM - Azure Dedicated HSM allows you to create and maintain keys that access and encrypt your cloud resources, apps, and solutions such as Windows Azure SQL Database.