A Cybersecurity Milestone: Taiwan Aligns Semiconductor Industry with GlobalPlatform SESIP
(L-to-R): Dr. Jung-San Lee, Director General, III; Richard Lee, Chairman, TEEMA; Rachel Menda-Shabat, GlobalPlatform SESIP WG Chair / Director of Cybersecurity Certification, Winbond; Jiunn-Shiow Lin, Acting DG, ADI (MODA)
Taiwan has become the latest market to adopt GlobalPlatform’s ‘Security Evaluation Standard for IoT Platforms’ (SESIP) methodology in order to align its semiconductor industry with the internationally recognized standard.
The announcement took place at the 2024 ‘International Conference on Chip Security Certification and Standards Harmonization Achievement’, held in Taipei on November 26. This event and workshop brought together representatives from across Taiwan’s cybersecurity and semiconductor ecosystems, alongside GlobalPlatform partners such as Infineon, PSA Certified, Qualcomm, and Winbond.
GlobalPlatform was represented at the event by Rachel Menda-Shabat, Director of Cybersecurity Certification at Winbond and Chair of the GlobalPlatform SESIP Governance Working Group. “SESIP provides Taiwan with a proven methodology for conducting security evaluations of software and hardware components, helping them strengthen product and supply chain cybersecurity and accelerate global exports,” commented Menda-Shabat.
Rachel Menda-Shabat, GlobalPlatform SESIP WG Chair / Director of Cybersecurity Certification, Winbond
By aligning with SESIP, Taiwan will ensure its IoT and semiconductor components meet the cybersecurity demands of key export markets such as the EU and US, which increasingly require compliance with international standards. SESIP is recognized as a standard by CENELEC, the European Standardization Organization, as EN 17927. It also aligns with many other legislation and vertical certification schemes around the world, including the Cyber Trust Mark in the US.
Speaking at the event, Jiunn-Shiow Lin, Acting Director General of Taiwan’s Administration for Digital Industries (ADI)—part of Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA)—said harmonizing Taiwan’s chip industry with SESIP was a “milestone” on the road to the global interoperability of cybersecurity standards.
Lin highlighted ADI's efforts to bring together local government, research, and academic institutions to establish a joint chip security testing laboratory. These partners will work with international SESIP certification bodies such as TrustCB and SGS Brightsight to deliver a “local testing, global access” strategy for certification, strengthening Taiwan's standing on the global stage.
Jiunn-Shiow Lin, Acting DG, Taiwan’s Administration for Digital Industries (ADI), Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA)
Taiwan's semiconductor industry is already a critical part of the international supply chain, responsible for more than 90 percent of the world’s most advanced chips. The industry is also central to Taiwan’s economy, accounting for around 15 percent of GDP and 40 percent of global exports.
The government-led effort to align on the global standard was supported by Taiwan’s Electrical and Electronics Industry Association (TEEMA) and the Institute for Information Industry (III).
GlobalPlatform has been working with Taiwanese companies and institutions for several years. It signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the III in 2023 to help Taiwan build products and components based on the latest international cybersecurity standards.
