Reconciling Security Certification and Product Introduction

In today’s cloud, telecom and Web3 landscapes, hardware security modules (HSMs) must move faster than ever to support innovation and regulations like eIDAS or EU Cyber Resilience Act. Traditional HSMs often impose long certification cycles and stiff integration constraints. ProvenHSM introduces a paradigm shift by adopting composite and delta certification – concepts proven in smart cards – and bringing them into the HSM domain. This approach lets you deploy new features, integrate new modules, and stay certified without re-starting from scratch.

What Is Composition in Security Certification?

Composition means building a system from certified, modular components – a secure base platform combined with trusted add-on modules – while retaining the high assurance of the whole. This modularity allows each element to be designed, certified, and updated independently without compromising overall system trust. By applying composition and modularity together, organizations can reuse certification evidence, isolate changes, and accelerate their time-to-market.

In the smart card world, this model has enabled multiple applications to coexist securely on a single chip under separate evaluations, as seen with eUICC profiles in telecom and EMV payment applications in banking.
In the telecom sector, the GSMA’s eUICC Protection Profile explicitly allows a composite evaluation where the secure hardware and Java Card operating system are certified once, and applications such as USIM or ISIM are evaluated independently on top. This enables multiple operators or profiles to coexist securely on the same chip.

In the payment world, the EMVCo model separates platform certification from application certification: card manufacturers certify the chip and operating system through the Chip & Platform approval process, while banks and payment networks certify their EMV or Common Payment Applications separately.

Both examples illustrate true composite certification in practice – different trusted applications, developed and certified by different entities, running on a shared certified platform without re-starting the entire evaluation.

Delta Certification: Continous Evolution, Not Re-Certification

Delta certification is about validating only the changed parts of a system rather than re-certifying the entire product. With modular architectures and frequent updates (new crypto algorithms, cloud integrations, blockchain modules), delta certification ensures agility without sacrificing trust. For HSMs facing new standards, multi-tenant cloud demands and rapid deployments, this becomes a critical enabler.

Why These Concepts Matter for HSMs

Traditional HSMs were certified as monolithic appliances – any change triggered full re-evaluation. That means slow time-to‐market, frozen firmware and limited agility. Meanwhile, cloud and telecom environments demand modularity, rapid integrations and new cryptographic services (including post-quantum algorithms). Composability and delta certification bridge the gap between high assurance and operational flexibility.

How ProvenHSM Enables Composite Trust

ProvenHSM is designed with modularity and certification-reuse in mind. Its secure base platform (a formally verified OS) acts as the certified foundation with proven and certified isolation properties. On top of this, new modules (crypto services, blockchain signing, telecom SAM functions) plug in with clearly defined interfaces (REST, PKCS#11, KMIP). Each new module can be certified incrementally via delta certification, preserving the base platform’s assurance and streamlining the deployment path.

Benefits for Security Architects & Business Decision-Makers

• Faster deployment cycles: Adding or upgrading modules without full re-certification.
• Cost efficiency: Reduced evaluation scope means lower certification cost and shorter timelines.
• Future-proof architecture: Modular design supports new crypto, cloud/edge integration and evolving standards.
• Assured trust: High-assurance base platform + certified modules = certified support for regulated environments.

For decision-makers this means competitive advantage, lower risk, and better alignment between innovation speed and compliance demands.

Composite and delta certification transform certification from a constraint into an accelerator. ProvenHSM brings certified trust into cloud-native, telecom and web3 environments – letting you innovate faster, deploy with confidence and stay compliant. If you’re ready to modernize your cryptographic infrastructure without sacrificing assurance, ProvenHSM is your platform.

References

1. GlobalPlatform, Composition Model, v1.1, 2012.
2. GlobalPlatform, Composition Model Security Guidelines for Basic Applications, v1.0, 2014.
3. GSMA, eUICC for Consumer and IoT Devices Protection Profile, v2.1, 2025
4. ENISA, Composite product evaluation and certification for CC:2022, European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, 2020.