A tamper-resistant security module (TRSM) is a device that incorporates physical protections to prevent compromise of cryptographic security parameters that it contains. There are varying levels of protection afforded by TRSMs:
Tamper-resistance: make intrusion difficult, usually by employing hardened casing Tamper-evident: make intrusion attempts evident to subsequent viewers, often by employing seals which must be broken during intrusion Tamper-responsive: detect the intrusion attempt and destroy the contents in the process A TRSM is usually also a hardware security module (HSM).