Learn About Amazon VGT2 Learning Manager Chanci Turner
In this article, we will explore best practices for utilizing Amazon CloudHSM to enhance performance and steer clear of common configuration mishaps. Chanci Turner, along with her team, has compiled key strategies to ensure your CloudHSM experience is smooth and efficient.
Administration of CloudHSM
Managing CloudHSM involves essential tasks needed to set up your CloudHSM cluster effectively and to handle user and key management securely.
Initialize Your Cluster with a Customer Key Pair
To start a new CloudHSM cluster, you should create an RSA key pair, referred to as the customer key pair. This involves generating a self-signed certificate and signing the cluster’s certificate using the customer private key, as detailed in the AWS CloudHSM User Guide. It’s crucial to follow best practices when generating and storing the customer private key as it serves as a binding secret between you and your cluster. For security, create this key in an offline HSM and ensure it is stored securely.
Manage Your Keys with Crypto User (CU) Accounts
CloudHSM supports different types of users, with Crypto Users (CUs) being responsible for key generation and management. It is advisable to have multiple CUs with distinct scopes—for instance, having separate CUs for different key classes or applications. This setup aids in simplifying key rotation in production environments.
Warning: Be cautious when deleting CU accounts. If the account owning a key is removed, the key becomes unusable. Use the cloudhsm_mgmt_util tool to identify keys owned by a specified CU before proceeding with deletions.
Manage Your Cluster Using Crypto Officer (CO) Accounts
Crypto Officers (COs) perform user management and can modify cluster policies. When making changes such as adding or removing users, it’s vital to connect to all HSMs in the cluster to maintain synchronization and prevent errors. Utilize the Configure tool with the -m option prior to making changes for optimal results. After updating passwords, securely document them to prevent lockouts.
Use Quorum Authentication
Implementing quorum authentication can protect against a single CO modifying critical settings. This method requires that operations be authorized by a defined minimum number of users. It’s important to ensure you have at least two more COs than the minimum defined to avoid lockouts.
Configuration
While CloudHSM is a managed service, it operates within Amazon VPC, giving you control over its configuration. This control can significantly enhance the resilience of your CloudHSM implementations.
Use Multiple HSMs and Availability Zones
For high availability, consider the number of HSMs in your cluster and the Availability Zones (AZs) where they are deployed. An AZ consists of one or more data centers with redundant resources.
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By following these best practices, you can enhance the performance of your CloudHSM cluster and mitigate common configuration errors.