Protection of TPM, automotive telematics unit, etc.
Remote update of encryption mechanism firmware

Volkswagen has adopted Infineon Technologies' OPTIGA TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0 for its connected car security solutions.
This chip is designed to protect the vehicle from communicating with the outside world. Examples include situations where access to the vehicle is required for services such as car sharing or parcel delivery to the trunk. The TPM is also suitable for automotive manufacturers' secure SOTA (Software Over-the-Air) updates.

TPMs have been proven in the computer field for several years and are increasingly being used in IoT connected devices. Infineon is the first semiconductor company to provide automotive-certified TPMs for connected cars. This chip meets international security standards and has been certified by an independent organization.

Acting as a gatekeeper, the TPM protects interfaces through which the vehicle interacts with the outside world, such as infotainment systems and telematics units. It verifies the identities of parties sending and receiving digital data, such as the automotive manufacturer's backend servers. By encrypting and decrypting data, only the data desired by the driver or the car company is transmitted to the vehicle.

The encryption keys required for these security functions are stored within a TPM, which acts as a type of vault. The initial key is retrieved from a specially authenticated secure environment. All other keys are generated, used, and stored only within the TPM. Since they do not leave this space, they cannot be intercepted over the network.

TPM offers excellent defense against physical attacks. It protects the key from being read even if someone removes the chip from the car.

Optiga TPM 2.0 is designed to support the long lifecycle of a vehicle. Since firmware, including encryption mechanisms, can be updated remotely (crypto-agility), security technology can always be kept up to date.

Infineon has accumulated experience and expertise in automotive semiconductors and hardware-based security. By combining the new Optiga TPM 2.0 with the AURIX microcontroller family, it provides comprehensive security solutions for the key challenges facing the automotive industry.