ST Strengthens IoT Security Solutions through Collaboration with Domestic Security Startup
Addressing cryptographic key protection, the core of security, with hardware solutions

Security has emerged as the biggest barrier to IoT adoption. To address IoT security challenges, ST Microelectronics (ST) has partnered with SecurityPlatform, a domestic startup providing hardware security solutions.

Various factors threatening IoT security cannot be replaced with a single solution. Device cloning and tampering require enhanced authentication, while concerns about device damage necessitate identity authentication and integrity verification solutions.

The two companies plan to collaborate in providing a solution that combines specially designed ICs and software to safely protect IoT devices by leveraging trust computing principles that validate the authority of all connected devices and verify their integrity.

ST's STSAFE-TPM is a Trusted Platform Module that provides secure storage for data such as cryptographic keys required for system authentication using proven techniques including anti-tamper, memory protection, and data observation prevention. It complies with industry-recognized security standards including TCG (Trusted Computing Group) TPM 1.2 and TPM 2.0 protection profiles, IT-Security Common Criteria Level 4+ (CC EAL4+) certification, and the U.S. Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2.

SecurityPlatform enables integrity verification through its Axio-OS security operating system and Axio-RA remote integrity verification solution, verifying device hash information on a separate server to determine whether integrity has been compromised. Additionally, these software modules provide cloning prevention and tamper prevention capabilities, processing device authentication, message signing, and security updates only with appropriate signed code.

Mohamed Tabet, Manager of ST Security Microcontroller Division, emphasized, "Security cannot be entirely implemented through software. How cryptographic keys are protected is the core of security, but software cannot effectively protect keys," and stressed that "hardware security solutions will resolve this issue."

Regarding the reason for selecting SecurityPlatform as a partner, he explained, "TPM has traditionally been provided only to large OEMs, limiting market reach. It was used only in PCs and peripheral devices because IoT manufacturers lacked knowledge and expertise in hardware security. We needed a trustworthy partner, and SecurityPlatform stood out for its superior hardware-based security expertise and shared understanding of TPM's necessity in the IoT field."

Hwang Su-ik, CEO of SecurityPlatform, stated, "IoT devices come in various sizes. The TPM-based solution we are unveiling today can be used in medium to large-scale devices," adding that "developers can add security customized to their environment during the development stage without requiring separate solutions for security."

Through this collaboration, ST and SecurityPlatform provide a pre-integrated ready-to-use solution based on the STSAFE-TPM IC and Axio-OS and Axio-RA software, which were previously used independently. Starting with South Korea, a major market where the IoT market is expanding, the companies plan to expand globally.