Microchip introduces the first encryption companion to bring on-premise security to the automotive market

     With the rise of in-vehicle network connectivity technologies such as Bluetooth and LTE/5G, vehicles today face more cybersecurity vulnerabilities than ever before, which is driving new cybersecurity regulations and specifications in the automotive market. Microchip Technology announced the launch of the CryptoAutomotive security IC, TrustAnchor100 (TA100), to help Oems and their module suppliers streamline the upgrade process of existing designs to meet the safety requirements of future automotive products. This encryption companion supports on-board network security solutions such as secure boot, firmware updates and message authentication, including Controller Local Area Network (CAN) MACs up to bus speeds.

     To comply with the new safety regulations, car designers must rebuild the electronic control unit of the vehicle with safety hardware. Existing solutions on the market include single-core dual-core hardware Security module (HSM) devices, which require Oems and their module suppliers to re-architect their respective application software for security integration. In addition to the time and effort required for integration, the security vulnerabilities that come with such separate implementation re-architecting can seriously hinder product development. Third-party security software can help overcome this obstacle, but at the same time increase development costs.

     The TA100 provides an alternative in-vehicle network architecture deployment for secure initiation and message authentication. The TA100 solution fully meets EVITA Medium and EVITA Full hardware security module requirements and has been approved by several Oems worldwide. After carefully evaluating the cybersecurity specifications of several well-known Oems, Microchip designed the TA100 with a variety of features to help Oems' Tier 1 suppliers comply with the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP). In addition, Microchip provides security specifications and Request for Quotation (RFQ) evaluation services to help Tier 1 suppliers understand customer needs and improve project success. By providing pre-programmed in-house application encryption code preconfigured with unique asymmetric key pairs and associated x.509 certificates, the TA100 removes barriers associated with secure code development and configuration, reduces security risks and production costs, and accelerates timeto market.

     The TA100 has passed an intensive third-party vulnerability assessment and has proven to be highly resistant to attacks. It is AEC-Q100 Automotive Level 1 certified, FIPS 140-2 CMVP Security Level 2 and Physical Key Protection Level 3 certified, and has the highest score in the Joint Interpretation Library (JIL) high-level Vulnerability Assessment. In addition, the TA100 offers software components such as AUTOSAR drivers, Microcontroller Abstraction Layer (MCAL), and Microchip's CryptoAuthentication library for seamless integration into industry standard operating systems, AUTOSAR, or custom software protocol stacks for encryption capabilities.

     Nuri Dagdeviren, vice president of Microchip's Security Products business unit, said: "The TrustAnchor100 provides security as automotive Tier 1 suppliers and Oems upgrade thousands of electronic control units. The TA100, combined with the integrated software protocol stack, provides customers with production-ready software that allows them to easily add security to any vehicle module."