Let’s say you’re a burglar deciding which house to rob. The
first one has a lock on the front door, but the windows are only half shut and
could be forced open. The second has a stronger lock on the front door, bars
on the windows, video cameras on the roof and a keypad, for disarming an
alarm, in the entryway. It’s a pretty easy decision. You say goodbye to
the second house, since it’s so heavily protected, and try your luck
with the first one.
A similar thing happens with identity theft and government-issued documents.
Hackers and other criminals avoid documents protected by robust security
mechanisms, and focus instead on poorly protected documents that are more
likely to give them what they want.
That’s why NXP developed the IntegralSecurity architecture. It provides
a multi-pronged defense that protects data at every point, from the factory to
the eID holder’s hand. That way, governments can create the kinds of
documents that identity thieves pass by, without a second look.
Effective deterrence
Unlike monolithic approaches, which rely on just a few security mechanisms to
protect data, the IntegralSecurity architecture uses more than a hundred
interlinked, redundant and highly adaptable security provisions. Each of
these attack countermeasures, realized in hardware, can be updated and
strengthened selectively, so the architecture keeps pace with the continuously
changing threat landscape. Here’s a look at just a few of the security
mechanisms used with eGovernment documents:
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Protected IP
The IntegralSecurity architecture uses
an advanced 0.09 µm CMOS technology, with several metal layers, to
produce a highly protective mesh of active and dynamic multi-threaded
shielding. The circuit is nearly impossible to reverse engineer, even if
probed by a silicon expert and is structured in such a way that any
information stored in the encrypted memories is nearly impossible to
decipher.
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Unique electronic “fingerprint”
An
exclusive NXP feature, called the Physical Unclonable Function (PUF), uses
the unique atomic structure of the semiconductor chip to give the IC the
equivalent of a fingerprint. The PUF data can be used over and over, yet
remains uniquely paired with the IC. This revolutionizes security for eGov
documents, since the chip and its application is protected by a physical
property, not memory content. The PUF enables a new kind of key management,
and gives the eGov document a “forensic” security feature that
is essentially impossible to detect or reproduce.
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Tamper resistance
The highly secure RAM and
additional Stealth-NV-Memory use advanced detection techniques that sense
when the IC is being tampered with, and shut down sensitive operations when
under attack.
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Attack resistance
A wide range of features act as
countermeasures against all types of attacks. For example, the SecureFetch feature, which defends against light and laser attacks, offers
protection that goes beyond software code to include other kinds of data,
too. GlueLogic, for optimum relief of operation system
countermeasures and safe as well as fast composite certifications plus
approvals, and active shielding technology provide the highest level of
attack resilience. The architecture avoids the weaknesses inherent in other
approaches by using no hard macros.
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Best-in-class crypto protection
A remarkable
combination of crypto algorithms, covering on and off power states, provides
what is considered to be the most advanced protection in the industry. The
Frame2 crypto coprocessor supports symmetric DES/AES and asymmetric RSA/ECC
algorithms, and uses a flexible RSA key length of up to 4,096 bits, yet
operates with extraordinary efficiency. In particular, when the power is
off, the coprocessor can be protected by the above-mentioned PUF. An
optional certified state-of-the-art NXP crypto library is tailored on
optimum performance and security and enables fast time to market for any new
OS creation.
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Data Guard for multi-applications
For eGov documents
that perform more than one function, such as eIDs that also support payment,
the IntegralSecurity architecture delivers unrivaled protection. The Memory
Management Unit (MMU) acts as a guard for multi-applications through
separated application data access and firewall-like protection from
cross-over operations.
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Certified assurance
The design and production
facilities that support the IntegralSecurity architecture routinely pass the
audits for internationally recognized standards for security and quality
control, including ISO/IEC 15408. The ICs based on IntegralSecurity have
achieved CC EAL6+ certification, which represents the highest practical
level of evaluation assurance under the most recent Protection Profiles.
The SmartMX portfolio
The IntegralSecurity architecture reflects NXP’s decades-long
leadership in security technologies, and forms the basis of NXP’s
SmartMX
family of products. We continually upgrade the product line, adding new
security features, such as the recently introduced PUF, now available on the SmartMX P60
family. This ongoing commitment to enhanced security yields stronger yet
simpler ways to protect confidential data, and forces identity thieves to look
elsewhere for opportunities.
Join the conversation
What’s your perspective on security in eGov documents? Do you use an
eID? What is your experience with it?
Related links
NXP SmartMX2 P60
