# Project Tessera: A New Open-Source Era for Hardware Security
## A Shared Vision for Stronger Security
Hardware security is entering a pivotal moment. As cyber threats grow more sophisticated and quantum computing edges closer to reality, the need for robust, transparent, and collaborative security infrastructure has never been greater. Project Tessera represents a bold step forward in meeting that need — bringing together industry leaders to build an open-source hardware security module (HSM) platform that anyone can use, study, and improve.
Born from the evolution of an earlier integrated HSM architecture used in cloud environments, Project Tessera takes the lessons learned from large-scale deployments and transforms them into a fully open initiative. Developed in collaboration with Marvell, Oracle, and the Open Compute Project, the goal is simple yet powerful: make hardware-level key protection accessible, interoperable, and trustworthy for the entire technology ecosystem.
## Why Open Source Matters for Security
For years, hardware security has largely been the domain of proprietary systems. While effective, closed-source HSMs can create blind spots — organizations must trust the vendor without being able to independently verify the implementation. Project Tessera flips this model on its head.
By open-sourcing the architecture, specifications, firmware, drivers, software, and build environments, Project Tessera invites scrutiny, innovation, and participation from security researchers and engineers worldwide. This mirrors the approach taken by Caliptra, a fully open-source silicon root-of-trust that has already seen broad adoption across the hardware industry. Tessera applies that same philosophy of transparency to hardware-based key protection.
## Two Forces Driving the Need for Change
Two major shifts are reshaping the cybersecurity landscape and making projects like Tessera essential.
**The Rise of AI-Powered Attacks**
Artificial intelligence is accelerating the speed and scale of cyber threats. Attackers can now discover vulnerabilities faster, craft more convincing phishing campaigns, and automate sophisticated attacks at a pace that traditional defenses struggle to match. At the center of many of these attacks are cryptographic keys and credentials — high-value assets that, when compromised, can lead to impersonation, data breaches, and unauthorized access to critical systems.
**The Quantum Computing Challenge**
Quantum computing promises breakthroughs in computation, but it also threatens the cryptographic algorithms that underpin modern digital security. Algorithms like RSA and ECC, which protect everything from website certificates to financial transactions, could be broken by a sufficiently powerful quantum computer. The transition to post-quantum cryptography is no longer a distant possibility — it is an urgent priority. HSMs will be among the first systems that need to support quantum-resistant algorithms, and they must do so while remaining compatible with existing classical systems during the migration period.
## Breaking Free from Key Management Shortcuts
Traditional HSM deployments often separate the security hardware from the compute resources that need it. This creates latency and operational friction, which in turn leads organizations to take shortcuts that weaken security. Common anti-patterns include:
– **Exporting keys from the HSM** in wrapped form so they can be used more conveniently elsewhere — but losing the hardware-level protection that makes them secure.
– **Caching keys outside the HSM** to improve performance, which exposes them to additional attack vectors.
– **Sharing keys across security domains** to simplify management, which dilutes accountability and control.
– **Relying on proprietary protocols** that limit interoperability and reduce transparency.
These practices may improve operational convenience, but they undermine the very reason organizations use HSMs in the first place.
Project Tessera addresses this by keeping keys permanently protected within the HSM hardware boundary while performing cryptographic operations close to the workload. This integrated approach eliminates the need for risky workarounds and ensures consistent, hardware-rooted security from end to end.
## Building an Interoperable Ecosystem
One of the most exciting demonstrations of Project Tessera showed two different HSMs — the Tessera Integrated HSM and Marvell’s LiquidSecurity 2 — working together in a unified security domain. Through the Tessera transfer protocols, these heterogeneous devices can clone HSM partitions and form resiliency rings, ensuring that keys remain protected even if one device fails.
The protocols use post-quantum cryptography to secure communication between HSMs, enabling authorized workloads to leverage both classical and quantum-resistant cryptographic services while keeping their keys safely within the hardware boundary. This kind of interoperability is critical for organizations that need to transition to post-quantum cryptography without disrupting their existing infrastructure.
All of the Tessera specifications, protocols, software libraries, and hardware designs are publicly available through the Tessera Integrated HSM repository on GitHub, inviting the community to contribute, test, and build upon the platform.
## Extending Protection Through Confidential Computing
Project Tessera is not limited to dedicated HSM hardware. The project is also exploring how its key protection architecture can extend into confidential computing environments — systems that isolate sensitive workloads in hardware-backed trusted execution environments.
By creating a minimal, unikernel-based Tessera firmware stack, the project enables the same security model to run within software-isolated containers alongside hardware-isolated HSMs. The initial implementation supports AMD SEV-SNP technology and integrates with open-source virtualization tools like OpenVMM, with plans to expand to other confidential computing architectures in the future.
This means that even platforms without dedicated HSM hardware can benefit from strong, hardware-isolated key protection. Organizations get a consistent security foundation across their entire infrastructure, with a clear path to upgrade to dedicated HSMs as their needs grow.
## Rigorous Security Standards
Project Tessera is designed to meet the highest levels of hardware security certification, including FIPS 140-3 Level 3 and Common Criteria. The dedicated, tamper-resistant security boundary ensures that cryptographic keys remain protected against physical and logical attacks throughout their entire lifecycle.
By enforcing these standards consistently and openly, Tessera sets a benchmark for what hardware security should look like in an era defined by AI-driven threats and the coming quantum transition.
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## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
**What is Project Tessera?**
Project Tessera is an open-source initiative led by Microsoft, Marvell, Oracle, and the Open Compute Project. It transforms the Azure Integrated HSM architecture into a fully open platform for hardware-based cryptographic key protection, with the goal of making it broadly available and interoperable across the industry.
**Why was Project Tessera created?**
The project was motivated by two major trends: the increasing speed and scale of AI-powered cyberattacks, and the growing risk that quantum computing poses to current cryptographic algorithms. Tessera aims to provide a robust, transparent, and collaborative solution to both challenges.
**What does “open source” mean in the context of hardware security?**
It means that the project publishes its architecture, specifications, protocols, firmware, drivers, software, and hardware designs so that anyone can inspect, use, and contribute to them. This promotes transparency, trust, and innovation across the ecosystem.
**How does Tessera protect cryptographic keys?**
Tessera keeps keys within a dedicated, tamper-resistant hardware boundary and performs cryptographic operations close to the workload. Keys are never exposed outside the HSM, ensuring consistent protection throughout their lifecycle.
**What is FIPS 140-3 Level 3?**
FIPS 140-3 is a U.S. government standard for cryptographic modules. Level 3 requires physical tamper-resistance and identity-based authentication, providing a high level of assurance that the hardware protecting the keys is secure.
**How does Project Tessera relate to post-quantum cryptography?**
Tessera natively supports quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms, enabling organizations to begin migrating to post-quantum standards while maintaining compatibility with existing classical HSMs during the transition.
**Can Tessera work with other HSM vendors?**
Yes. The project demonstrated interoperability between Tessera Integrated HSM and Marvell LiquidSecurity 2 HSMs, and the open protocols are designed to encourage broader ecosystem participation.
**What is confidential computing, and how does Tessera fit in?**
Confidential computing uses hardware isolation to protect data in use. Tessera extends its firmware and security model to confidential computing environments, enabling strong key protection even on platforms without dedicated HSM hardware.
**Where can I access the Tessera source code and specifications?**
The Tessera Integrated HSM repository is available on GitHub, where the community can access documentation, code, and contribute to the project.
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## Conclusion
Project Tessera represents a significant shift in how the technology industry approaches hardware security. By embracing open source, collaboration, and transparency, it offers a path toward stronger key protection that is accessible to organizations of all sizes. Whether deployed on dedicated HSM hardware or within confidential computing environments, Tessera provides a consistent, standards-based foundation for cryptographic security.
As AI-driven threats intensify and the quantum era draws closer, the need for secure, interoperable, and auditable hardware security will only grow. Project Tessera positions the industry to meet that challenge — not through closed systems and vendor lock-in, but through shared knowledge and collective innovation.
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