August 3, 2015, Seoul — Infineon Technologies (Korea CEO Seung-soo Lee) has launched an embedded security solution to prevent product secrets and IP theft for capital equipment such as industrial automation, medical equipment, and electronic components.

According to the OECD, losses caused by counterfeiting and piracy amount to up to $638 billion annually. The new OPTIGA™ Trust E product is an easy-to-implement solution that protects manufacturers' valuable IP from attacks, analysis, duplication, and counterfeiting. It enhances network and supply chain management by utilizing enhanced authentication and securely storing software code and product data. This is particularly important in relation to the “Industry 4.0” initiative. Furthermore, it enables manufacturers of high-value products to preserve their brand reputation by protecting their IP and ensuring product quality and safety.

Research on embedded anti-copying capabilities is being conducted at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security (AISEC) in Garching, Germany. Bartol Filipovic, Head of the Product Protection and Industrial Security Department at the institute, stated, “Most companies are completely unaware of how easy it is to replicate their products. Encryption software alone is not sufficient to protect standard product or equipment code. Ideally, software code should be stored in secure hardware.”

You can trace the origin of parts using the smart security features provided by OPTIGA Trust E. Taking wind power equipment manufacturers as an example, controlling the aftermarket for installed systems or components can prevent damages or warranty claims resulting from the use of unverified services or counterfeit parts. This security technology has already been integrated into Infineon’s intelligent power module MIPAQ™ Pro, and global wind power equipment manufacturers have adopted this solution.

OPTIGA Trust E significantly enhances overall system security by incorporating an advanced, pre-programmed security controller based on ECC (elliptic curve cryptography). As a convenient and cost-effective solution, it includes key and certificate management functions and operating software, providing comprehensive system integration support. With a standard I2C interface, a compact USON-10 footprint, and an extended temperature range of -40°C to +85°C, it can be integrated into various types of embedded projects. Furthermore, it supports product certification for the new USB Type-C standard.

OPTIGA Trust E is currently in mass production supply.

As connectivity in industrial systems continues to increase, IP protection is becoming a critical issue. Infineon offers a variety of easy-to-implement semiconductor technologies to address growing security threats. The OPTIGA embedded security product family provides comprehensive solutions, ranging from authentication solutions (OPTIGA Trust) to advanced solutions (OPTIGA TPM) designed to protect the integrity, authenticity, and confidentiality of information for IoT security. For more information, visit www.infineon.com/iot-security.