Cryptographic companion device brings pre-programmed security to the automotive market

With the rise of in-vehicle network connections such as Bluetooth and LTE/5G, today's vehicles host more vulnerabilities than ever, driving new cybersecurity regulations and specifications for the automotive market. Assisting OEMs and their module suppliers to simplify the upgrade of current designs to satisfy security demands for future generations, Microchip Technology has revealed its CryptoAutomotive security IC, the TrustAnchor100 (TA100). The cryptographic companion device supports in-vehicle network security solutions including secure boot, firmware update and message authentication, as well as CAN MAC at bus speed.

To comply with new security specifications, automotive designers must rearchitect the vehicle’s ECUs with secure hardware. Current solutions in the market incorporate single-chip dual-core HSM devices, which need OEMs and their module suppliers to rearchitect their application software to incorporate security. As well as the effort needed for this integration, the risk of security holes raised in disparate implementations pose considerable barriers through this path. Third-party security software can assist in overcoming this barrier in part with increasing development costs.

The device has been confirmed with high resistance to attack through intensive third-party vulnerability assessments. It is AEC-Q100 Automotive Grade-1 qualified, FIPS 140-2 CMVP Security Level 2 rated and Physical Key Protection Level 3 certified, and it has gained the highest possible vulnerability assessment rating of JIL High. Also, the device provides software components like AUTOSAR drivers, MCALs and the company's CryptoAuthentication library that enables seamless integration into the industry-standard operating system, AUTOSAR, or customised software stacks for crypto functions.

“The TrustAnchor100 provides relief for automotive Tier 1s and OEMs when upgrading thousands of ECUs with security,” said Nuri Dagdeviren, vice president of Microchip’s secure products group. “Combining the TA100 and an integrated software stack provides production-ready software for our customers, enabling them to easily add security to any automotive module.”