Abstract: A hardware random number generator (RNG) (10) comprises a source of entropy (12) for providing a bit stream (DIS) comprising successive bits of a first state and a second state and a first digital corrector circuit (28). The first circuit being configured to provide from two successive bits in the bit stream an output bit of an output bit stream (34) according to a first scheme to ensure that bits in the output bit stream (34) are independent from one another. A serially connected second digital corrector circuit (28) ensures that the bits in the output bit stream are also unbiased, so that the output bit stream is truly random. A Gaussian generator 40 connected to an output of either the first corrector or the second corrector generates from the output bit stream (34) words having standard Gaussian deviates.