What is PKCS11?

PKCS #11, or Cryptoki, is an API that defines a platform-independent interface to cryptographic tokens, such as hardware security modules (HSMs) and smart cards. It allows applications to perform cryptographic operations like encryption, decryption, signing, and key generation using the security token without exposing the sensitive key material to the host system. It's commonly used in scenarios where secure key storage and hardware-accelerated cryptography are required.