System and method for hosting and remotely provisioning a payment HSM by way of out-of-band management

A Web-based payment system comprising:

• at least one payment Hardware Security Module (HSM) physically hosted in a data center and remotely accessible, over a communication network, by at least one remote end-user entity running at least one payment application adapted to use critical resources protected in the at least one payment HSM,
• said at least on payment HSM comprising:
• a processor;
• and
• a memory on which are stored machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform configuration of:
• a first interface to allow remote access to the at least one payment HSM over the communication network by the at least one remote end-user entity;
• a second interface supported by a given communication channel over the communication network to allow for main, operational management of the at least one payment HSM by the at least one remote end-user entity,
• a third interface supported by a communication channel over the communication network being distinct and physically isolated from the given communication channel of the second interface, to allow secure access to the at least one payment HSM by a third-party entity, distinct from the at least one remote end-user entity, for Out-Of-Band (OOB) management of the at least one payment HSM by the third-party entity,
• and cause the processor to additionally implement a resident, remotely configurable provisioning state-machine for management of provisioning of the payment HSM for service to one or more end-user entities, through one or more transitioning methods under control of the third-party entity over the third interface as part of the OOB management.

A method of deploying a Web-based payment system to an end-user entity comprising the steps of:

• by way of a payment Hardware Security Module, HSM, physically hosted in a data center accessible through a communication network and operatively configured to enter one of
• a first state of the payment HSM not being allocated to an end user entity,
• a second state of the payment HSM being allocated to an end-user entity but not being commissioned for said end-user entity, and
• a third state of being the payment HSM commissioned for the end-user entity running at least one payment application adapted to use critical resources protected in said payment HSM by way a first interface configured to allow remote access to the payment HSM over said communication network by said end-user entity:
• from the first state, by way of a second interface supported by a given communication channel over the communication network and configured to allow for main, operational management of the payment HSM by the end-user entity, transitioning from the first state to the second state;
• and,
• from the second state, upon a successful commissioning of the payment HSM by the end-user entity, by way of a third interface supported by a communication channel over the communication network being distinct and physically isolated from the given communication channel of the second interface and configured to allow secure access to the payment HSM by a third-party entity, distinct from the end-user entity, for Out-Of-Band (OOB) management of the payment HSM by said third-party entity, transitioning from the second state to the third state.