Non-Volatile Memory express (NVMe) Data Path Security Cluster (DPSC) Module
Certificate
| Certificate number | 5455 |
|---|---|
| Standard | FIPS 140-3 |
| Status | active |
| Sunset date | 2031-07-29 |
| Overall level | 1 |
| Module type | Hardware |
| Embodiment | SingleChip |
| Vendor | Google, LLC · website |
Module description
The Data Path Security Cluster is a hardware IP providing XTS-AES encryption to NVMe data in transit over the network. The cryptographic module accepts from its outside and stores cryptographic keys for multiple NVMe connections. Depending on the content of received data, the module shall or shall not apply cryptographic processing to the data. The DPSC contains 4 identical XTS-AES-256 decrypt engines, 4 identical XTS-AES-256 encrypt engines, key cache arbiter and key cache SRAM which is zeroized on reset. The data interfaces exposed to the NVMe Protocol Layer (NPL) within the NVMe Protocol Initiator (NPI) are read and write DMA interfaces. XTS keys are written to the module’s SRAM via Control/Status Register (CSR) writes from the Integrated Management Complex (IMC) located outside of the module boundary. On-demand self- tests may be initiated from the NPI using an on-demand self-test trigger over a wire interface.
Security level exceptions
- Software/Firmware security: N/A
- Non-invasive security: N/A
- Mitigation of other attacks: N/A
Validation history
| Date | Type | Lab |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-30 | Initial | Acumen Security |
Status timeline
As observed by this tracker's snapshots. NIST publishes no dates for list moves; observation began 2026-08-21, so earlier changes carry no date.
- 2026-08-21: first observed by this tracker, status active
- Validation dates on record: 2026-07-30