A physical device that performs a cryptographic function (e.g., random number generation, message authentication, digital signature generation, encryption, or key establishment). A cryptographic device must employ one or more cryptographic modules for cryptographic operations. The device may also be composed from other applications and components in addition to the cryptographic module(s). A cryptographic device may be a stand-alone cryptographic mechanism or a CKMS component.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-57 Part 2 Rev.1