1 Introduction
In the unlikely event that the internal encryption module overheats, the module shuts down (see
Module overheating
on page 67). If the whole nShield Connect overheats, the orange warning LED
on the front panel illuminates (see
Orange warning LED
on page 65) and a critical error message is
shown on the display.
To help ensure adequate cooling, check that the front and the rear vents on the module are
not blocked.
1.8 Physical location considerations
nCipher nShield HSMs are certified to NIST FIPS 140-2 level 2 and 3. In addition to the intrinsic
protection provided by an nShield HSM, customers must exercise due diligence to ensure that the
environment within which the nShield HSMs are deployed is configured properly and is regularly
examined as part of a comprehensive risk mitigation program to assess both logical and physical
threats. Applications running in the environment shall be authenticated to ensure their legitimacy and
to thwart possible proliferation of malware that could infiltrate these as they access the HSMs’
cryptographic services. The deployed environment must adopt 'defense in depth' measures and
carefully consider the physical location to prevent detection of electromagnetic emanations that might
otherwise inadvertently disclose cryptographic material.
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nShield® Connect - Installation Guide
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