A Hardware Security Module (HSMs) is a physical computing device that safeguards and manages digital keys for strong authentication and provides crypto processing. A HSM can also be defined as a dedicated crypto processor that is specifically designed for the protection of the crypto key lifecycle.
They act as trust anchors that protect the cryptographic infrastructure of some of the most security-conscious organizations in the world by securely managing, processing, and storing cryptographic keys inside a hardened, tamper-resistant device. These modules traditionally come in the form of a plug-in card or an external device that attaches directly to a computer or network server.