Providing processor hardware-based security to small embedded devices

ARM recently announced its latest ARMv8-M architecture, which implements the ARM TrustZone feature at ARM TechCon 2015. The newly implemented TrustZone helps to keep data, firmware, and peripherals safe by identifying “secure” and “non-secure” states throughout the processor system.

Mike Muller, chief technology officer, ARM, said: “The ARMv8-M architecture enables developers to more easily address the demands of the next generation of embedded devices with enhanced security, scalability and improved debug capabilities. Despite the increasing importance of security, today’s small embedded devices either have limited protection or rely solely on software-managed security systems that require developers to have a high level of technical expertise. By embedding security into the hardware architecture as implemented in ARMv8-M, ARM is making it much easier to build and implement security efficiently.”

Beyond these CPU architecture-level changes, ARM is also notable for taking data security beyond architecture to the next level with its recently launched TrustZone CryptoCell family. These enhanced security technologies create additional layers of hardware security, provide cryptographic optimizations, and provide life-cycle management for key products. This also enables separate storage for high-value assets.

“The rapid growth in innovation and adoption of IoT presents new cybersecurity risks,” said Shankar Somasundaram, senior director, IoT, Symantec. “To help bring trust and security to IoT devices, Symantec is working with ARM to deliver one of the first secure commercial applications to run on TrustZone. We look forward to continuing our partnership with ARM to deliver innovative secure-by-design solutions for TrustZone on ARMv8-M based devices.”

This new architecture makes it easier for developers to write code that can run on any ARMv8-M processor, from the most energy-efficient to the highest-performance. It also enables the development of high-performance system-on-chip (SoC) products by facilitating the integration of more powerful Cortex-A processors with lower-power ARM Cortex-M processors.

On the one hand, it is expected to strengthen the production capacity for the industry's premium embedded SoC design, providing new opportunities for 'smart connected technology'. In particular, the new architecture is expected to be useful in industrial fields including health, identity identification, or factory machine management, where the use and analysis of security data can create new values.