Hardware-based solution secures connected electronics

1st April 2014

Nat Bowers

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Improving the security of electronic devices in connected systems, OPTIGA Trust P is a programmable hardware-based solution from Infineon Technologies. This provides robust device authentication, protects computing systems from both intentional attacks and accidental damage from user error, and enhances security and privacy of stored data.

Allowing the connection to only known, legitimate devices is a key element to any system security, and it becomes crucial when there are more and more connected devices used by enterprises and consumers. By integrating the OPTIGA Trust P into their designs, electronics manufacturers add a security safe to their embedded system.

The OPTIGA Trust P generates and securely stores encryption keys for one-way and mutual authentication, protecting the device from malware, and to control access mechanisms for secure software updates. Any product that stores and exchanges confidential data - whether used in smart homes or factories - can rely on the encrypted communications capability of OPTIGA Trust P to enable information privacy. This helps to defend from attackers trying to obtain personal or company data or attempting to tamper with programming through Internet connections or M2M communications links.

The OPTIGA Trust P is a Common Criteria EAL 5+ (high) certified secure trust anchor that addresses counterfeiting, privacy and security concerns. It uses public key cryptography to support both one-way and mutual authentication for anti-cloning applications. On-board key generation, key storage and secure key exchange allow creation of a secure communications channel and encryption of transmitted data. This can provide data privacy as well as the information verification between senders and receivers. The integrated key management and the access controls expand the use of the secure channel to encompass protection by permitting for secure remote updates and local access restrictions to the devices.

As a programmable device, the OPTIGA Trust P is very flexible and easy to integrate into existing systems. It includes a JavaCard operating system to run security applets that can be configured for the specific needs of the system. Infineon provides the reference JavaCard security applets for most common functions, host code, and development tools to minimise development efforts.

The OPTIGA Trust P SLJ 52ACA authentication chip is offered in a VQFN-32 (5x5mm) package, with 150kB memory. It runs the JavaCard OS, supports ECC, RSA, AES, TDES and SHA cryptography and its system interface is an ISO7816 UART (400kb/s data rate). Samples are available now.