Benefits of an Integrated Secure Element for IoT Applications

To secure devices connected to the IoT, features like an immutable device identity, secure boot with Root of Trust, secure key storage and hardware crypto accelerations paired to a high-entropy random number generator are becoming an elementary requirement. Due to a growing number of security incidents surrounding the IoT, legislators are pushing to mandate minimum security levels (e.g. according to IEC 62443-3-3 or CSPN) for certain IoT devices or application areas. This session will show how an integrated secure element can not only help to address these soon-to-be-essential imperatives, but how it can add additional benefits like secure software updates or secure debug unlock, both of which cannot be easily achieved with an external secure element. For IoT device implementers, a brief summary of the key features of a secure element will be delivered along with the author€™s view on how integration can help reduce cost while significantly increasing security levels in product design.