Custody and access
Examine administrative roles, logical access paths, separation of duties, dual control and the evidence that makes authority reviewable.
CONTROL & CUSTODY
Assure the systems that hold your cryptographic authority.
A focused assessment of HSM security, key management governance and operating evidence for teams responsible for critical trust infrastructure.
THE DECISION
Move from assumed control to supportable confidence.
HSMs concentrate authority: a configuration choice, an operating exception or an incomplete recovery record can affect far more than one application. This engagement looks at the controls and practices that preserve that authority.
ASSESSMENT LENS
Review controls where cryptographic custody is actually exercised.
Key lifecycle
Trace how keys are created, loaded, used, rotated, backed up, recovered, retired and accounted for within the agreed boundary.
Ceremonies and operations
Review ceremony design, approvals, records, exception handling and operational handoffs rather than assuming a documented process is consistently performed.
Resilience and recovery
Consider backup protection, recovery dependencies, break-glass controls and retirement practices in relation to business consequence.
EVIDENCE-LED REVIEW
Configuration is part of the story, not the whole story.
We use approved artifacts such as architecture records, role matrices, procedures, ceremony records and relevant configuration evidence to test the questions in scope. Missing or incomplete evidence remains visible in the findings.
- Inventory the boundaryClarify systems, key types, dependencies, owners and review constraints.
- Connect controls to evidenceRelate observed practices to the stated policy and operating intent.
- Prioritize accountable actionFrame practical recommendations by materiality, confidence and ownership.
INDEPENDENT REVIEW / NOT A LIVE DATA FEED
EvidenceFindingsJudgmentDecision
Provenance retainedUnknowns explicitHuman accountability
PLATFORM CONTEXT
Questions informed by broad platform experience.
The founder's experience spans Futurex, Thales, Utimaco/Atalla and IBM cryptographic platforms. Specific models, versions and the evidence available are established before an engagement is accepted.
This background is not vendor authorization or vendor integration support. It does not replace documentation, platform-specific validation or the customer's own operational accountability.
View the full advisory portfolioWHAT THIS IS NOT
A disciplined advisory assessment—not a certificate.
Findings and recommendations are limited to the agreed environment and evidence. GC Solutions does not issue a certification, perform a full enterprise audit, certify a cryptographic module, act as a QSA or provide vendor authorization.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Define the HSM decision that needs independent scrutiny.
Start with a high-level business conversation. Evidence handling, scope and operating boundaries come next.