German electronics company Infineon Technologies has introduced an embedded security option for developers of consumer and industrial IoT applications.

The Edge Protect embedded security software has four categories of security configurations for requirements in IoT applications based on increasing security capabilities.

Edge Protect is optimised for Infineon’s PSoC and Airoc products. It also provides preconfigured product-security categories to satisfy regulatory and industry-standard levels.

According to Bain & Company, the lack of security is a leading barrier to IoT adoption; more than 70 per cent of users would purchase more IoT devices if security was better addressed.

Edge Protect is aligned with PSA Certified, a framework established by Arm in 2018 to unite the IoT and embedded ecosystem under a common security baseline. With Edge Protect, consumer and industrial IoT OEMs can protect their brand, reduce liability risk, protect their IP, and bring their products to market faster.

“For the IoT to continue to scale, security is no longer optional, and as standards and regulations evolve there is an increased need for security to be built into devices from the ground up,” said David Maidment, senior director at Arm. “By aligning its new solution to the PSA Certified framework, Infineon is helping the ecosystem to prioritise security and bring even more secured IoT devices to market.”

Erik Wood, senior director of product security at Infineon, added: “As a leader in the security and IoT industries, bringing Edge Protect to the mass market is a natural next step. Edge Protect brings the right levels of security for IoT applications across both the consumer and industrial sectors. It comprises four levels of protection. We look forward to enabling more OEMs to integrate Edge Protect into their IoT devices for enhanced security in the home, office and factory.”

Infineon-defined Edge Protect categories include:

• Category 1: CRA, RED and PSA Certified Level 1v2 compliant and requires a root of trust (RoT), secured boot, firmware updates and debug access protection to secure OEM IP.
• Category 2: Requires Cat 1 features plus Arm Trust Zone processing isolation, the TF-M security services stack and sufficient internal memory or a secured, external-flash, serial-memory interface, and PSA Certified Level 2 compliant.
• Category 3: Requires Cat 2 features plus hardened accelerated crypto operations and fault sensors, plus PSA Certified Level 3 compliant.
• Category 4: SESIP and PSA Certified Level 3 but includes a hardware-isolated, lockstep redundant, secured enclave at an AVA.VAN.4 security rating for secured boot, key storage, crypto operations and debug access control.

Edge Protect is compatible with Infineon’s ModusToolbox 3.1 development platform to provide developers a unique experience for various use cases including consumer IoT, industrial, smart home and other applications.

In addition to the PSoC and Airoc families, Infineon ModusToolbox 3.1 is also compatible with embedded applications using Infineon products including XMC, EZ-PD and PMG1 microcontrollers.