New GlobalPlatform White Paper Explores the Value of the Trusted Execution Environment to Mobile Services Security

07 July 2015 - GlobalPlatform, the organization which standardizes the management of applications on secure chip technology, has published a free to download white paper, which introduces the Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) and examines its role in addressing an increasing number of security concerns within the expanding mobile services market.

The TEE is a secure area of the main processor in a smart phone (or any connected device) which ensures that sensitive data is stored, processed and protected in an isolated, trusted environment. Industry interest in the TEE is gaining momentum, as it addresses the needs of most applications by offering a higher level of security than a Rich OS, while offering greater functionality than the secure element (SE).

The white paper, entitled: ‘The Trusted Execution Environment: Delivering Enhanced Security at a Lower Cost to the Mobile Market’ introduces the TEE and its general security characteristics, before progressing through the key security concerns and perspectives of various actors and markets. The paper illustrates particular use cases, offering an understanding of how a TEE lays to rest major concerns within those use cases. In particular, the TEE’s role in the following implementation examples is examined: mobile payments, enterprise (bring-your-own-device), content protection and government eID solutions.

“As mobile and consumer markets for connected devices mature and expand, an increasing number of security concerns demand attention,” explains Kevin Gillick, Executive Director of GlobalPlatform. “Yet while it’s in the interest of all actors in the mobile services value chain to protect applications on many levels, a balance has to be struck to ensure that security doesn’t compromise the end-user experience or the relative ‘openness’ of the device environment which offers commercial opportunity to so many stakeholders. This need to balance security and openness is a key challenge faced by the mobile services industry today.

“The TEE offers a solution which addresses many security concerns without imposing an undue burden on applications,” concludes Kevin. “This white paper will help audiences understand why this is the case and outlines its relevance for many use cases.”

GlobalPlatform is currently leading global TEE standardization efforts to ensure the development of a globally interoperable mobile ecosystem. To support this, the organization is launching a TEE Security Evaluation Secretariat to manage its TEE Certification Scheme. This initiative will work to accelerate the deployment of certified TEEs and to create an ecosystem where GlobalPlatform certification of TEE products is a prerequisite amongst service providers and handset manufacturers.

The new GlobalPlatform white paper, which can be downloaded from the GlobalPlatform website, will be of interest to stakeholders across the connected devices market, including service providers, software vendors, device manufacturers, platform providers and mobile network operators.

-ENDS-

For further media information, please contact Rob Peryer or Andrew Murgatroyd at iseepr: rob@iseepr.co.uk / andrew@iseepr.co.uk or on + 44 (0) 1943 468007

Keep up to date with the latest news from GlobalPlatform:

• Follow on Twitter: https://bit.ly/wOiHFp
• Join us on LinkedIn: https://linkd.in/xjxsN5
• Subscribe to GlobalPlatformTV: https://bit.ly/1BzvLoa

Notes to editors:

About GlobalPlatform
GlobalPlatform defines and develops specifications to facilitate the secure deployment and management of multiple embedded applications on secure chip technology. Its standardized infrastructure empowers service providers to develop services once and deploy across different markets, devices and channels. GlobalPlatform’s security and privacy parameters enable dynamic combinations of secure and non-secure services from multiple providers on the same device, providing a foundation for market convergence and innovative new cross-sector partnerships.

GlobalPlatform is the international industry standard for trusted end-to-end secure deployment and management solutions. The technology’s widespread global adoption across finance, mobile/telecom, government, healthcare, retail and transit sectors delivers cost and time-to-market efficiencies to all. GlobalPlatform supports the long-term interoperability and scalability of application deployment and management through its secure chip technology open compliance program.

As a non-profit, member-driven association, GlobalPlatform has cross-market representation from all continents. 130+ members contribute to technical committees and market-led task forces. For more information on GlobalPlatform membership visit www.globalplatform.org