Marvell Technology, Microsoft, and Oracle have formed a new working group within the Open Compute Project (OCP) to standardise hardware security across cloud and hyperscale data centre infrastructure.
The collaborative effort was established under the OCP Security Track.
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It is focused on creating open specifications for an integrated hardware security module (HSM) that meets National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-3 Level 3 standards.
Operating directly at the server level, the planned integrated unit will handle cryptographic key lifecycle management alongside secure key caching.
Marvell said processing cryptographic tasks directly on the servers running the workloads aims to lower latency, enhance scalability, and bolster cloud security.
Currently, most enterprise and cloud data centre servers depend on network-attached HSMs or software-based key management, according to the company.
These existing approaches mean cryptographic keys must traverse network connections or sit in unprotected memory that lacks FIPS 140-3 Level 3 certification, exposing sensitive credentials to potential security attacks.
The group aims to resolve this by embedding a dedicated key vault, an attestation chain, and a certified hardware security boundary into the server hardware itself.
This architecture ensures keys never leave certified hardware limits, data is processed locally, and workload integrity can be verified cryptographically by relying parties.
Marvell multimarket business group senior vice president and general manager Cary Ussery said: “An integrated HSM will allow cryptographic key operations to execute where the workload runs, satisfying both regulatory compliance and zero-trust architecture requirements, all without compromising higher performance for security.
“By defining this as an open specification, we’ll make that capability available to the entire industry.”
The OCP operates as a collaborative community working to redesign hardware technology to support the expanding demands of compute infrastructure.
Microsoft Azure chief technology officer (CTO), deputy chief information security officer (CISO) and technical fellow Mark Russinovich said: “As AI transforms cybersecurity and quantum technology reshapes cryptography, protecting the keys and credentials at the heart of our digital infrastructure has never been more important.
“Through the Open Compute Project, industry leaders are coming together around a fully open-source integrated HSM, combining our collective innovation to advance interoperability, accelerate the adoption of post-quantum cryptography, and shape the future of hardware security.”
