Futurex launches VirtuCrypt financial cloud HSM to support critical payment systems cryptography

Futurex announced the next generation of its VirtuCrypt financial cloud hardware security module (HSM) service. Futurex’s VirtuCrypt financial cloud HSM service supports financial services organizations’ critical payment systems cryptography and key management needs in the cloud.

VirtuCrypt cloud HSMs are the industry’s first financial cloud cryptographic solution with native Amazon Web Services (AWS) support.

Financial services organizations depend on HSMs to meet their payment and cryptography needs, including for transaction acquiring, card and mobile issuing, and Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE).

HSMs are used to handle tasks for banks and merchants including PIN translation and verification, CVV generation and validation, EMV validation, message authentication code generation and verification, key management, and mobile payment processing. Additionally, they depend on HSMs to issue payment cards and provision mobile payment tokens.

Since 2015, VirtuCrypt financial cloud HSMs have provided services for organizations of all sizes. With five data centers worldwide and certifications including PCI DSS, PCI PIN, PCI P2PE, and TR-39, VirtuCrypt services are a platform-agnostic way for organizations to deploy cryptographic services across a range of financial use cases and architectures.

“We have been working with the financial services industry for more than 40 years to deliver mission-critical cryptographic solutions to support the large volume of payment systems and processes required,” said Ryan Smith, vice president of global business development at Futurex.

“Today, we’re proud to announce a range of groundbreaking enhancements to our VirtuCrypt financial cloud HSM – the industry’s first financial cloud HSM with native AWS integration – building on years of cloud HSM experience and delivering on our commitment to meeting the security, robustness, scalability, and compliance needs of financial services organizations worldwide.”

Core-to-cloud architecture and automation

• Instant provisioning with the VirtuCrypt Intelligence Portal
• One-click migration from on-premises HSMs to cloud HSMs
• Cloud HSM SDK for natively integrating cloud crypto processing and key management into on-premises or cloud applications and services
• User-controlled clustering and synchronization of cloud HSMs
• Real-time, automated, and customizable scalability
• Flexible high availability and SLAs for test environments up to mission-critical production applications

Snapshot technology and cloud HSM management

• Take cloud HSM snapshots for backup, migration to new environments, or streamlining new deployments
• Enable and disable cloud HSMs with the click of a button
• Store cloud HSM snapshots on the VirtuCrypt cloud HSM backup service and re-provision them on-demand
• Instant provisioning for common payment host applications, with recommended settings built in

Cryptoverse & CryptoTunnel security fabric

• Cryptoverse: enterprise key schema for comprehensive, cross-platform security with TLS-secured mutual authentication and strong encryption across all endpoints
• CryptoTunnels: turnkey connection security between on-premises apps, cloud-hosted applications, and cloud HSMs
• Connection whitelisting ensures only trusted applications can access cloud HSM services
• Deployment in different PCI zones (acquiring/P2PE, issuance, or test) to meet compliance requirements

Crypto infrastructure intelligence and orchestration

• Centralized log management with audit-friendly reporting
• Integrated monitoring with user-definable push notifications
• Integration with third-party applications and cloud monitoring tools
• HSM orchestration allows cloud HSMs to be provisioned or modified based on user-defined scenarios

Native omni-cloud integration

• VirtuCrypt Access Points: use a single set of cloud HSMs across multiple regions within a single public cloud provider
• Connect applications spanning multiple public clouds to a single VirtuCrypt cloud HSM estate
• Direct integration with public clouds, such as AWS, allowing seamless deployment
• Public cloud integration allows account management, invoicing, and billing to be handled from a single interface

“Enterprise workloads are moving to the cloud in vast quantities, and payment applications are no exception,” said Tim Sloane, vice president of payments innovation at Mercator Advisory Group.

“As organizations determine the ideal mix of cloud and on-premises technology for their own ecosystem, it’s vital that hardware security modules and encryption key management be included in the conversation.”