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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutenCipher’s return as a standalone business came in January 2019, roughly 11 years after Thales acquired it in July 2008—not 20 years later. The business was subsequently sold to Entrust, so nCipher did not remain independent. The story is about enterprise cryptographic security hardware, not consumer cryptocurrency wallets.
What happened to nCipher?
SecurityWeek reported that nCipher became a separate standalone hardware security module (HSM) business on January 7, 2019, and was officially launched on January 26. The same report says Thales acquired nCipher in July 2008. Those dates put the separation about 11 years after the acquisition, making “after 20 years” in SecurityWeek’s headline chronologically inconsistent with its own account. SecurityWeek’s January 29, 2019 report is the source for the dates.
Why did Thales separate and sell the business?
On February 22, 2019, Thales said its general-purpose HSM business had operated as a separate standalone business within Thales under the nCipher Security brand since January. Thales then announced a definitive agreement to sell it to Entrust Datacard. The company said the divestiture addressed competition-authority commitments connected with Thales’ acquisition of Gemalto. Thales’ announcement also described the Gemalto acquisition process as ongoing at that point.
Thales reported that the HSM business generated more than €100 million in revenue in 2018 and had over 300 employees. Those are company-reported historical figures for 2018, not current financial or staffing data. Thales’ announcement also described Entrust Datacard at the time as having more than 2,200 employees in 34 locations and serving customers in 150 countries; those, too, are 2019 historical figures.
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Did nCipher become independent?
No. The separation first created a standalone business within Thales; it did not establish lasting independence. Entrust’s June 2019 customer letter reported that the acquisition had been completed and that the business became a segment within Entrust Datacard. The letter discussed the transition of nCipher business operations, customer contracts and support under Entrust entities and branding. Entrust’s June 2019 customer letter is the source for the completion and transition details.
What does an HSM do?
A hardware security module is a secure, self-contained hardware unit that performs cryptographic operations. The UK Office of Fair Trading’s 2008 report explains that isolating these processes in hardware can limit access to cryptographic keys. It distinguishes general-purpose HSMs, used for functions such as SSL processing, protecting stored data, and securely creating and distributing keys, from payment HSMs, which support electronic payment transactions. These are historical market descriptions from the regulator, not a current specification for nCipher’s nShield products. The Office of Fair Trading’s 2008 report provides that distinction.
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For a business evaluating HSMs, the distinction helps define the use case; it does not identify a winner. Buyers would also need to assess the cryptographic functions required, key custody arrangements, deployment and integration needs, compliance obligations, and the vendor’s support arrangements.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does the headline’s “crypto hardware” mean?
Here, “crypto” refers to cryptography: the security techniques used to protect keys, data and transactions. The cited material describes nCipher as a general-purpose HSM business and refers to its nShield product portfolio. It does not describe consumer cryptocurrency wallets or establish current nShield model names, prices, or product availability. The transaction is therefore relevant to enterprise security and vendor history, not a guide to buying a personal crypto wallet.
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- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5 NFC via USB and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC), to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required
- MOST SECURE PASSKEY: Supports FIDO2/WebAuthn, FIDO U2F, Yubico OTP, OATH-TOTP/HOTP, Smart card (PIV), and OpenPGP. That means it’s versatile, working almost anywhere you need it
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