Security solutions based on industrial-grade flash memory

With the USB-stick PU-50n DP and the microSD Memory Card PS-45u DP, Swissbit will demonstrate the concept of a net-policy-server to control and manage flash memory devices as authentication tokens and secure IIoT boot devices.

The USB-stick PU-50n DP will be presented at the show. The USB 3.1 mass storage device in a rugged metal housing is available with MLC and pSLC-NAND options. It has an internal AES 256-bit encryption and password protection offers a configurable repeat counter. Different separate partitions can be defined, for example, as ROM or WORM memory. Comparable with the Swissbit memory cards, which are used in police bodycams, any read and write permissions can be defined.

Hubertus Grobbel, Head of BU Security, Swissbit, commented: "Secure firmware updates, GDPR compliant company data protection, secure storage of audit trails, we are looking forward to showing our booth-visitors at it-sa diverse application scenarios. Flash memory cards and USBs are common, be it as data media in embedded systems – for example in industrial automation – or in IT as mobile information transfer media.

“At the same time, we need to address the increasing security and data protection requirements, for example for IIoT communication. Here, we offer approaches based on proven memory products with built-in security and data protection features."

Connecting secure memory with the IP address

At it-sa, Swissbit will, with its security solutions, demonstrate the concept of a net-policy-server for control and management of memory in the field. The company will show how two factor authentications can be bound to one IP address. It is possible, for example, that a boot loader only functions within a defined network. This way, there is no security risk, in case of unauthorised removal of hardware from a manufacturing facility.

Whilst, inserting non-authorised hardware is made difficult thanks to the level of trust among the devices themselves. The microSD Memory Card PS-45u DP is also equipped with an integrated data protection feature with AES 256-encryption. On Swissbit’s it-sa booth, secure booting of a RaspBerry Pi will be shown. Here, an administrator can differentiate between many policies determining the approval of access to the memory. The memory can only be used with the right device, by the right person, within the right network and with a specific license token or the right boot software.