Providing a secure and open platform for advanced smart card applications

Together with Infineon Technologies AG, TrustSEC has launched its new advanced smart cards operating system (OS) BIO-SLCOS. The OS uses Infineon's latest high-performance SLC38 Secure Element to supply a secured and open platform that connects the best in security, flexibility, and hardware independence to fulfil the comfort, performance and security necessities of the global smart card market. The solution is ideal for government identification, payment, ticketing and access applications and for application providers looking to improve their biometric solution regarding security, performance and functionality.

"We are committed to improve our operating system continuously by porting it to the most powerful and promising chips from our partner Infineon. This allows us to offer our customers turnkey, market-leading solutions," said Magdy Sharawy, CEO of TrustSEC.

"Our broad and rapidly growing portfolio demonstrates Infineon's leading role in shaping the market for secure elements and smart cards," said Franck Ferrandino, senior marketing director, Connected Secure Systems at Infineon. "Collaborating with partners, and TrustSEC in particular has become essential to meet the new white label requirements for operating systems driven by issuers and service providers who prefer standardised payment applications based on alternative, modern smart card operating systems. This is why Infineon has selected TrustSEC's BIO-SLCOS for the latest chipsets."

BIO-SLCOS is a smart card operating system that designates the latest technology for smart cards. It incorporates security, flexibility, and hardware independence on one platform. The new system allows application providers to use the latest evolution of Infineon's SLC family of secure elements by employing BIO-SLCOS with the ability to add another security layer for fingerprint authentication. Consequently, biometric authentication can be performed completely within the company's newly approved SLC38 Secure Element.

The OS solution is based on its SLC38 hardware and supplies data integrity which is constructed on sophisticated security features tested by independent labs. As well as managing file systems and I/O, the operating system interacts with different applications. All products in the family are rated with the highest security certification CC EAL 6+.

As well as supporting contact, contactless, dual and USB interfaces, the solution can be preloaded or programmed with fixed applications or allow application uploading after utilising the card manager module. Smart cards with the solution may also run multiple applications simultaneously. Also, the solution can activate the card based on the bio information supplied or occasionally authenticate transactions whilst the card is active.