Presto Engineering address IoT chip security with highly secure manufacture and test service

Stand 3A-603 at Embedded World, Nuremberg, Germany

Caen, France, 8 February 2018 — The recent Meltdown and Spectre problems have highlighted the vulnerability of computer chips to hacking that can, at least, be addressed through software patches. However, another area that is increasingly a target for hackers is IoT where each node in an IoT network can provide an entry point to a company’s corporate systems, in a similar manner to the way that home security cameras, robot vacuum cleaners, etc. have been hacked. Presto Engineering is offering a comprehensive manufacturing and test service that is tailored to ensure IoT chips are made to high standards of security.

“According to analysts, there are already billions of IoT chips in use,” said Martin Kingdon, Presto’s VP of Sales. “This figure is predicted to grow exponentially, driven by the ability of IoT to monitor and provide hard data on which actions can be taken, such as scheduling pre-emptive maintenance before a failure can happen. But the rush to design and make IoT chips has often meant that security has been overlooked, or not included, in the drive to a lower price. This is false economy as these chips can be vulnerable to hacking giving access to confidential data streams.”

IoT devices’ connection to the Internet provides a potentially vulnerable route for hackers. The chip should have two levels of security built into the design of the ASIC itself to stop unauthorised access. The first is Cryptography to protect communication and maintain the confidentiality and integrity of data as it moves across the network. The second is Authentication to verify that only authorised computers or people have access.

Turning the design into a chip requires a highly secure manufacturing supply chain. Presto can manage the entire chip manufacturing and testing process to make chips with levels of security right up to that needed for banking standards, including the secure provisioning of the cryptographic keys. The latter ensures that processors will only execute code and updates identified with the correct secret keys. Handling these securely in the manufacturing supply chain is vital to an effective security strategy and is covered by the Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation standards. These range from the basic Evaluation Assurance Level 1 to Level 7 for government and military, with Level 5 being typical for banks, payment systems, and other highly demanding commercial application.

Presto already has considerable experience in mass-producing highly secure chips that are used in chip-and-pin banking cards. Its state of the art facility at Meyreuil, France, near Aix-en-Provence, and its facilities in Asia produce over 70 million chips a year. As an experienced, certified provider of secure chips, Presto is able to provide cost effective solutions from small volumes in Europe to very large production runs in its own secure facilities in Taiwan and Thailand. This combines with Presto’s IoT device expertise in mixed signal, package design, low power techniques, test and qualification to ensure right-first-time chips that reduce time to market, costs and risks.

Presto Engineering will be discussing this and its many other manufacturing and testing services on stand 603 in Hall 3A at the Embedded World show in Nuremberg, Germany from February 27 to March 1, 2018.

More information about Presto Engineering’s IoT secure provisioning can be found in its white paper “Secure Provisioning – A ‘Must Have’ for IoT Security” can be found https://presto-eng.com/News/Whitepapers.html.

About Presto Engineering

Presto Engineering provides outsourced operations for semiconductor and IoT device companies, helping its customers minimize overhead, reduce risk and accelerate time-to-market. The company is a recognized expert in the development of industrial solutions for RF, analog, mixed-signal and secured applications – from tape-out to delivery of finished goods. Presto’s proprietary, highly secure manufacturing and provisioning solution, coupled with extensive back-end expertise, gives its customers a competitive advantage. The company offers a global, flexible, dedicated framework with operations across Europe, the USA and Asia.

For more information, visit: www.presto-eng.com or email info@presto-eng.com .

Presto Engineering provides ASIC design and outsourced operations for semiconductor and IoT device companies, helping its customers minimize overhead, reduce risk, and accelerate time-to-market. The company is a recognized expert in the development of industrial solutions for RF, analog, mixed-signal, and secured applications – from design, tape-out to delivery of finished goods. Presto’s proprietary, highly-secure manufacturing and provisioning solution, coupled with extensive back-end expertise, gives its customers a competitive advantage. The company offers a global, flexible, dedicated framework, with headquarters in Meyreuil, France, and operations across Europe, North America, and Asia. For more information, visit: www.presto-eng.com.