Miles Jamison 
- Thales’ PQC-enabled Luna T-Series HSMs are the first U.S.-manufactured hardware security modules to achieve FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validation
- The certification covers tamper-resistant HSMs designed to protect cryptographic keys used in federal systems and applications
- The upcoming version 7.15.1 release has passed NIST testing for key post-quantum cryptography algorithms, including ML-DSA and ML-KEM
Thales Trusted Cyber Technologies‘ post-quantum cryptography-enabled Luna T-Series hardware security modules have earned Federal Information Processing Standards, or FIPS, 140-3 Level 3 validation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, making them the first U.S.-manufactured HSMs to receive the designation.
What Does the Validation Cover?
Thales said Wednesday the certification covers the Luna T-Series line of tamper-resistant HSMs, which are developed, produced and supported entirely in the U.S. to support government supply chain requirements. The modules are designed to protect cryptographic keys that secure sensitive federal data and mission-critical applications.
Version 7.15.1, scheduled for release in August, passed NIST testing for ML-DSA, ML-KEM and Leighton-Micali Signature algorithms, making it the first HSM to include all NSA Commercial National Security Algorithm Suite 2.0 post-quantum algorithms as part of a FIPS 140-3 validation. The validated module is designated as the Luna T7 cryptographic module under certificate number 5450. It is built into the Luna PCIe HSM, Luna Network HSM, Luna as a Service and CipherTrust Manager offerings.
How Has Thales Advanced PQC Development?
The company delivered the first FIPS 140-2 compliant HSM capable of generating quantum-enhanced keys in 2021 and has served as a founding participant in the NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence Migration to PQC project since 2022. Thales TCT also signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Security Agency to evaluate NIST-selected algorithms on hardware security modules.
The Luna T-Series line has also supported Thales TCT’s broader federal cybersecurity efforts. In February, the company partnered with Virtru to integrate Luna T-Series HSMs into a hardware-backed zero trust offering designed to protect classified data through secure cryptographic key management.
Bill Becker, chief technology officer at Thales TCT, said the certification supports federal agencies as they adapt to changing cybersecurity standards and prepare for the adoption of post-quantum cryptography.
