Which Crypto Express card is the current one today?

The current one is the 4770, on IBM Z as Crypto Express 8S for the mainframes z16 and z17. For Power11 it carries the feature codes EPG4, EPG5 and EPG6, and in x86 servers it is called 4770-001. The 4769 as Crypto Express 7S stays listed for z15 as well as Power9 and Power10.

Is the card already certified to FIPS 140-3?

No, the 4770 carries FIPS 140-2 Level 4 today with certificate number 4558, valid until September 21, 2026. The review against FIPS 140-3 Level 3 runs as Implementation Under Test, while the hardware meets Level 4. In tenders we state both separately.

What happens to Hyper Protect Crypto Services?

The service is deprecated, and marketing ended on March 28, 2026. The service ends on March 20, 2027, while the overview page names March 28, 2027 for it. The successor is IBM Cloud Key Protect Dedicated, whose modules aim at FIPS 140-3 Level 4.

Who operates the cards after the rollout?

You decide that: you operate the cards yourself or hand monitoring and maintenance to us. We work with operators of critical infrastructure and regulated industries and align roles, logs and emergency paths with that.

IBM HSM: Crypto Express, Certifications, Operations

IBM at a glance

A hardware security module generates and stores cryptographic keys inside a certified device that never releases the key in plaintext. At IBM this device is the Crypto Express card with three operating modes. CCA covers payments, EP11 delivers Enterprise PKCS#11 for general applications, and the third mode only accelerates. The card sits in mainframes of the IBM Z line and in Power systems. As model 4770-001 it also runs in an x86 server under RHEL.

Cryptography and hardware security modules are our core competence. We know the CCA and EP11 modes, the connection through ICSF under z/OS and the announced end dates in the IBM Cloud. We run your project from the selection through the integration into daily operations.

Lines: Crypto Express cards, cloud services, key management
Highest validation: FIPS 140-2 Level 4, CMVP 4558
Post-quantum algorithms: CRYSTALS-Dilithium and Kyber in hardware, hybrid ECDH with Kyber
Operating forms: PCIe card in IBM Z, Power and x86, plus IBM Cloud

The series in detail

Series 01

IBM 4770 and Crypto Express 8S

The 4770 is the current card from IBM and carries the name Crypto Express 8S on IBM Z. It sits in z16 and z17, in Power11 systems and as model 4770-001 in x86 servers under RHEL. The card responds to tampering and is the only IBM card that also runs in x86 servers. It serves the z/OS operating system through the key service ICSF. It also serves Linux on Z, AIX, IBM i and Linux on Power.

Models

IBM 4770 and Crypto Express 8S: Models
Crypto Express 8S for IBM z16	Feature code 0851
Crypto Express 8S for IBM z17	Feature codes 0908 and 0909
4770 for Power11	Feature codes EPG4, EPG5 and EPG6
4770-001	x86 server under RHEL

Form factors: PCIe card
Operation: Your own data center, IBM Z from z16, Power11 systems, x86 servers under RHEL

Certifications

FIPS 140-2 Level 4, CMVP 4558, valid until September 21, 2026
FIPS 140-3 Level 3 in progress, hardware at Level 4
PCI HSM with CCA 8.x, on IBM Z still pending per the overview page

Features

Three operating modes: CCA for payments, EP11 for PKCS#11, plain accelerator
CRYSTALS-Dilithium and Kyber in hardware, plus hybrid ECDH with Kyber
Quantum-safe code load and quantum-safe attestation
RSA up to 4096 bit, ECC up to P-521 and Brainpool 512, Curve25519, Curve448, EdDSA and SHA-3
Format preserving encryption FF1 and FF2, plus TR-31, X9.143 and TR-34
More than 23,000 PIN operations per second, custom code through UDX

Vendor information

Series 02

IBM 4769 and Crypto Express 7S

The 4769 is the card of the prior generation and runs as Crypto Express 7S. It sits in IBM z15 as well as in Power9 and Power10. For servers without IBM Z there is the 4769-001 variant. The card carries FIPS 140-2 Level 4 with certificate number 4079 and the PCI HSM validation from CCA 7.x. The older 4768 card also carries Level 4 with certificate number 3410, and the 4767 and 4765 cards are no longer sold.

View device illustration

Models

IBM 4769 and Crypto Express 7S: Models
Crypto Express 7S for IBM z15	FIPS 140-2 Level 4 with CMVP 4079
4769 for Power9 and Power10	The same card in the Power system
4769-001	Variant for servers of the x64 line
4768 and Crypto Express 6S	Older card with CMVP 3410 and PCI HSM from CCA 6.0

Form factors: PCIe card
Operation: Your own data center, IBM z15, Power9 and Power10, Servers of the x64 line
Lifecycle: Prior generation of the 4770, still listed in the portfolio, while the older 4767 and 4765 cards are no longer sold

Certifications

FIPS 140-2 Level 4, CMVP 4079
PCI HSM from CCA 7.x
FIPS 140-2 Level 4, CMVP 3410 for the 4768

Features

Use in IBM z15 as well as in Power9 and Power10
Variant 4769-001 for servers of the x64 line
PCI HSM validation from CCA 7.x for payments
The 4768 carries PCI HSM from CCA 6.0
The 4767 and 4765 cards are no longer sold

Vendor information

Series 03

IBM Cloud HSM 7.0 and 6.0

IBM Cloud HSM provides a dedicated appliance per customer in IBM Cloud Classic, technically a Thales Luna. Version 7.0 uses the Luna a750 with FIPS 140-2 Level 3, version 6.0 the Luna SA 7000 with Level 2. The service is deprecated and is supported until August 11, 2027. IBM recommends the Utimaco HSM service on IBM Cloud as the replacement.

Appliance of the IBM Cloud hardware security module — Product photo: IBM

Models

IBM Cloud HSM 7.0 and 6.0: Models
IBM Cloud HSM 7.0	Thales Luna a750 with FIPS 140-2 Level 3
IBM Cloud HSM 6.0	Thales Luna SA 7000 with FIPS 140-2 Level 2

Form factors: Dedicated appliance in IBM Cloud
Operation: IBM Cloud Classic
Lifecycle: Deprecated, supported until August 11, 2027, with the Utimaco HSM service on IBM Cloud as the recommended replacement

Certifications

FIPS 140-2 Level 3 for the Luna a750
FIPS 140-2 Level 2 for the Luna SA 7000

Features

One dedicated appliance per customer in IBM Cloud Classic
Support until August 11, 2027
Utimaco Payment HSM as a Service has been in the IBM Cloud catalog since August 22, 2025
The deprecation is described only in the IBM documentation

Vendor information

Series 04

Hyper Protect Crypto Services and Key Protect Dedicated

Hyper Protect Crypto Services combines a single tenant key service with a cloud HSM on LinuxONE and Crypto Express. The service is deprecated, and the successor is IBM Cloud Key Protect Dedicated with a single tenant, KYOK and KMIP. IBM announced that successor on March 19, 2026. Its modules aim at FIPS 140-3 Level 4, and that validation is in progress. As hardware in the back end IBM names Utimaco, Thales and Marvell.

Models

Hyper Protect Crypto Services and Key Protect Dedicated: Models
Hyper Protect Crypto Services	One tenant per instance, HSM on LinuxONE
IBM Cloud Key Protect Dedicated	Successor, announced on March 19, 2026
Key Protect	Several tenants, FIPS 140-2 Level 3, BYOK
Unified Key Orchestrator	Also for containers, z/OS and LinuxONE in your own data center

Form factors: Cloud service
Operation: IBM Cloud, Your own data center for the Unified Key Orchestrator
Lifecycle: Hyper Protect Crypto Services is deprecated, end of marketing on March 28, 2026, end of service on March 20, 2027, while the overview page names March 28, 2027

Certifications

FIPS 140-2 Level 4 for Hyper Protect Crypto Services
Common Criteria EAL4
FIPS 140-3 Level 4 for Key Protect Dedicated in progress
FIPS 140-2 Level 3 for Key Protect

Features

Keep Your Own Key, control over the key stays with you
PKCS#11 and GREP11 for applications, KMIP for key management systems
Unified Key Orchestrator drives AWS KMS, Azure Key Vault, Google Cloud KMS and Key Protect
Key Protect Dedicated names Utimaco, Thales and Marvell as hardware in the back end
A variant with PKCS#11 is announced

Vendor information

Series 05

Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager

The Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager in version 4 is a key server and speaks KMIP, IPP and REST. It runs on bare metal, in a virtual machine or in a container. For the keys you can optionally attach a hardware security module at FIPS 140-3 Level 3. That way it separates the administration of keys from the applications that use them.

Models

Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager: Models
Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager v4	Key server with KMIP, IPP and REST
Optional back end HSM	Attachment of a module at FIPS 140-3 Level 3

Form factors: Bare metal, Virtual machine, Container
Operation: Your own data center, Virtualization, Container platform

Certifications

FIPS 140-3 Level 3 for the optional back end HSM

Features

KMIP for third party systems, plus IPP and REST
Operation on bare metal, in a virtual machine or in a container
Optional attachment of a module at FIPS 140-3 Level 3
Separates key administration from the application

Vendor information

How you pick the right model

Four points decide the choice at IBM: the platform, the operating mode of the card, the required validation level and the life cycle of the service. We clear them in a workshop and record the result in a decision paper.

01

Platform

The card follows the server: z16 and z17 take the Crypto Express 8S, while z15 takes the Crypto Express 7S. For Power11 there is the 4770, for Power9 and Power10 the 4769. In x86 servers only the 4770-001 runs, under RHEL.

02

Operating mode

CCA is the operating mode for payments and carries the PCI HSM validation there, while EP11 delivers Enterprise PKCS#11 for general applications. The plain accelerator computes without holding keys and suits pure compute load. We set the operating mode per card and application and document the decision.

03

Validation level and evidence

The 4770 carries FIPS 140-2 Level 4 with certificate number 4558, valid until September 21, 2026. The review against FIPS 140-3 Level 3 is still running, while the hardware meets Level 4. The PCI HSM validation applies from CCA 8.x, and for IBM Z the overview page names the status as pending.

04

Life cycle and operations

IBM Cloud HSM runs until August 11, 2027, and Hyper Protect Crypto Services ends as a service on March 20, 2027. Whoever plans in the cloud today picks Key Protect Dedicated. The entire solution runs in German data centers.

Our work around IBM

We do not only supply the card, we supply the work before and after it: selection, connection to ICSF and the applications, key ceremony, monitoring and operations. We document the key ceremony so that auditors can follow it later. One team accompanies you from consulting to operations.

HSM consulting and integration
We select the card and the operating mode, set up CCA and EP11 and connect z/OS through ICSF. Linux and AIX follow, and we document the key ceremony in an audit proof form.
We select the card and the operating mode. We set up CCA and EP11. We connect z/OS through ICSF. We also connect Linux and AIX. We document the key ceremony for auditors.
HSM & Key Management
PQC readiness
We record which keys and protocols rest on RSA and ECC today, because quantum computers threaten both algorithms. We then plan the path to CRYSTALS-Dilithium and Kyber in the card, plus the hybrid ECDH with Kyber. The quantum-safe code load and the attestation go into the same plan.
We record your keys and protocols. We look for RSA and ECC in use. Quantum computers can break both algorithms. We then plan the path to CRYSTALS-Dilithium and Kyber in the card. The hybrid ECDH with Kyber comes on top. We also plan the code load. The quantum-safe attestation goes into the same plan.
Post-Quantum Cryptography
Cybersecurity
We separate administration from application, review roles and logs and monitor the cards in daily operations. We feed the events into your SIEM, the system that collects and rates security messages.
We separate administration from application. We review roles and logs regularly. We monitor the cards in daily operations. We forward the events to your SIEM. A SIEM collects and rates security messages.
Cybersecurity

Standards and evidence

These five rules decide the choice of the card and the documentation in an IBM project. We tell you which card or service carries each one today and which proof is still in progress.

Requirement / Demands / OTOKO® delivers
Requirement	Demands	OTOKO® delivers
FIPS 140-2	Validated crypto modules with a defined physical protection level	4770 at Level 4 with CMVP 4558, 4769 at Level 4 with CMVP 4079
FIPS 140-3	Validation against the current standard for crypto modules	4770 at Level 3 in progress, Key Protect Dedicated at Level 4 in progress
PCI HSM	Certified hardware for PINs and card keys	4770 from CCA 8.x, 4769 from CCA 7.x, on IBM Z pending per the overview page
Common Criteria EAL4	Certified implementation of the key protection	Hyper Protect Crypto Services on LinuxONE and Crypto Express
KMIP and X9.143	Vendor neutral key management and protected key exchange	KMIP in the Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager, TR-31, X9.143 and TR-34 on the 4770

Navigation

IBM HSM: Keys in the mainframe and in the cloud

IBM at a glance

The series in detail

IBM 4770 and Crypto Express 8S

IBM 4769 and Crypto Express 7S

IBM Cloud HSM 7.0 and 6.0

Hyper Protect Crypto Services and Key Protect Dedicated

Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager

How you pick the right model

Our work around IBM

Standards and evidence

Frequently asked questions about IBM

Related topics

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