Open-source reference code released, Trusted Firmware-M scheduled for release in late March

Arm has released the Threat Models and Security Analyses (TMSA) document and announced Trusted Firmware-M, the first open-source reference implementation firmware compliant with PSA specifications. Through this, Arm provides guidelines for companies seeking to define their security requirements for public IoT devices and has laid the foundation to securely protect the future one trillion connected devices.

In October 2017, Arm announced the Platform Security Architecture (PSA), a general-purpose industrial framework that enables all members of the IoT ecosystem to move forward with greater confidence and a more robust and extended security system.

PSA provides comprehensive security guidelines for IoT security, enabling all members of the value chain, from chip manufacturers to device developers, to successfully implement security. With the announcement of PSA, Arm introduced what the framework aims to provide to the industry and has been working to evolve alongside that vision.

Platform Security Architecture (PSA) is divided into three core stages: analysis, design, and implementation. Arm supports the first stage of PSA by releasing the primary document for Threat Models and Security Analyses (TMSA). PSA advises that analysis must always precede the implementation of security, and that the assets to be protected and the threats of concern within that scope must be considered. Developers and manufacturers must implement security by creating their own TMSA or utilizing existing related practices.

Arm has released new TMSA examples for some of the most popular IoT devices, such as smart water meters, webcams, and asset trackers, providing strong guidelines that serve as a starting point for those seeking to define security requirements for their IoT products. Arm looks forward to the industry applying security analysis based on these examples to commercial IoT products in the future.

Trusted Firmware-M: Enhanced Access to Security
Considering that security is becoming increasingly complex and requires relevant resources from all developers, Arm enables security to be built more simply and cost-effectively by enhancing access to high-quality reference code and documentation. To achieve this goal, Arm announced Trusted Firmware-M, the first open-source reference implementation firmware compliant with the PSA specification, which is scheduled for release around the end of March 2018.

Arm plans to continue operating a dedicated software developer team for this project to provide a Secure Processing Environment (SPE) suitable for connected microcontrollers. Furthermore, it intends to add new security features in the future that can be easily utilized by non-expert security developers, thereby enabling the implementation of higher-quality, secure devices. Arm has a successful track record in the field of open-source security software, including Arm Trusted Firmware for Cortex-A application processors and Mbed TLS, an industrial solution widely used to connect IoT devices to cloud-based services.

Paul Williamson, Vice President and General Manager of Arm’s IoT Device IP business, stated, “As mentioned in the recent Arm Security Manifesto, realizing the immense value that data can bring requires efforts to maintain system security,” adding, “Arm will do its utmost to securely protect the next trillion connected devices. Arm’s commitment to PSA will not stop with the TMSA document and the announcement of Trusted Firmware-M, but will achieve much more.”