Swiss company Kudelski is helping semiconductor manufacturers build IoT security into their systems-on-chip (SoCs).

Its Secure IP portfolio gives semiconductor manufacturers robust cryptographic capabilities when integrated into their SoC products. Companies benefit from security services, which are more powerful integrated in hardware than software, while also enabling compliance with common security standards including Nist, Fips, PSA and Sesip level three or higher.

“Silicon hardware-based security offers better protection from manipulation and interference than its software-based counterpart because it’s more difficult to alter or attack the physical device or data entry points,” said Michela Menting, digital security research director at ABI Research.

Secure IP is a hardware security enclave that gives SoCs features such as a high-quality and robust true random number generator, secure key storage, robust cryptographic algorithms, and countermeasures against side channel attacks (SCA, DPA) and fault attacks (DFA).

Secure IP also gives SoC manufacturers, device manufacturers and end users access to services and features that ensure the longevity and profitability of devices. These features include remote feature authorisation, secure firmware over the air updates, data encryption to ensure privacy, and zero-touch or in-field provisioning to ensure secure and scalable operations.

“In an environment where regulation around IoT security is quickly growing and evolving, one thing is already clear: state-of-the-art security and robustness are becoming essential features in almost every component and device design,” said Andreas Thiel, head of product centres at U-Blox. “Kudelski has been a great security partner helping us embed security at the core of our products so we can enable the services we believe will drive the next generation of chipsets and modules for our business.”

Frédéric Thomas, CTO of Kudelski IoT, added: “We see increasing regulation and demand for security in almost every IoT market, ranging from consumer IoT, automotive, industrial, telco, medical and asset tracking. We foresee that regulation will require hardware IP in most SoC designs going forward, and through this launch we are giving silicon manufacturers a head start on preparing for the coming wave of demand.”

The Kudelski portfolio includes IP covering everything from cellular devices needing high security to IP for size and cost constrained devices requiring PSA or Sesip level-three certification. Kudelski IoT enables semiconductor manufacturers to integrate its Secure IP blocks with SoC lifecycle support such as JTag and secure debug capabilities, and support for secure boot using only a small footprint.

Kudelski IoT integrates security through the entire value chain and does not stop at only providing the security enclave itself. The company also provides tools and services for SoC and device manufacturers to manage the lifecycle of the SoC and devices, including threat analysis, risk assessments, security and architecture design review, and SoC and device evaluation for certification pre-evaluation.

Secure IP can be used in combination with Kudelski IoT KeyStream to manage the device lifecycle and provide a secure chip-to-cloud experience. This includes personalisation, key provisioning in the factory as well as in the field, secure firmware updates, and attestation, from design of the IoT product to refurbishment. It supports the creation of secure and sustainable products that protect business models, corporate reputation and regulatory compliance.