Trustonic device security platform achieves world's first TEE security certification from Common Criteria

16 March 2017, Cambridge, UK - Trustonic has become the first vendor globally to achieve Common Criteria security certification for a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE)* device security product. The certification of Trustonic’s Kinibi TEE paves the way for mass market delivery of trusted services on connected devices.

The GSMA introduced an initiative to define specifications for embedded SIMs (eUICCs). The goal is to provide a global standard for the remote provisioning and management of M2M connections, allowing the “over-the-air” provisioning of an initial operator subscription, and the subsequent change of subscriptions from one operator to another. A core specification (SGP.02) and a test specification (SGP.11) have been developed.  Test validation will ensure that embedded SIMs can deliver robust, secure and ubiquitous connectivity.

Common Criteria certification, which has been performed in line with the GlobalPlatform TEE Protection Profile**, gives device manufacturers confidence that Trustonic’s TEE product meets an industry-defined security baseline. Service providers – across markets including financial services, enterprise, government, internet of things (IoT) and premium content creation – can also be confident that their trusted applications are protected from attacks.

Trustonic’s product has also achieved compliance to GlobalPlatform’s latest functional specifications which incorporates the latest feedback from live implementations.

Bringing trust to connected devices and apps

Already embedded in more than one billion devices, the Trustonic TEE offers hardware protection in the form of a secure operating system which is completely isolated from the device operating system. This makes it, and trusted applications residing in it, immune to all software threats resident on the device and enables advanced device security, such as biometric authentication and secure PIN entry. The Root of Trust also ensures that a trusted identity is preserved within the device, preventing fraudulent use or copying.

“Life is increasingly digital,” comments George Kanuck, SVP of Global Sales & Marketing at Trustonic. “With more connected devices and sensitive digital services than ever before, the attack surface for hackers is growing. Smartphones are currently the biggest target, but as connectivity extends to more household appliances, wearables, cars and even hospital equipment the threat grows. This is why security must not be an afterthought. Manufacturers need to ensure the integrity of their devices and service providers want assurances that their apps and data are protected. This is where the TEE comes into its own.”

Continued commitment to compliance

Trustonic’s Kinibi TEE has also been qualified to the latest version of GlobalPlatform’s TEE Initial Configuration v1.1. The document describes implementation requirements for features of the GlobalPlatform Device Specification. The scope has been extended to support both Android and Linux environments, and new deployment use cases like IoT.

Maturity for the mass market

“These accomplishments demonstrate the maturity of the Trustonic TEE and our commitment to making this flexible device security technology available to the mass market. It is never easy to be the first to go through an approval process but certification brings assurances that our technology can be trusted by device manufacturers, service providers and consumers,” adds George.

Trustonic’s TEE is the only open TEE available. Uniquely, it permits third-party applications to be provisioned after the handset or device has been deployed, which opens up vast commercial opportunities for both device manufacturers and digital service providers. The latter will have the potential to dynamically add value to the end user by offering new secure services and functionality, once the device is already in their hands.

Separately, Kinibi has already been successfully certified to execute some host card emulation (HCE) payment solutions from various international payment schemes. To find out more about the Trustonic TEE, visit the website and blog.

Notes to editors
* The TEE is a secure area of the main processor in a smart phone (or any connected device) that ensures sensitive data is stored, processed and protected in an isolated, trusted environment. The TEE's ability to offer isolated safe execution of authorised security software, known as 'trusted applications', enables it to provide end-to-end security by enforcing protection, confidentiality, integrity and data access rights. The TEE offers a level of protection against software attacks, generated in the Rich OS environment. It assists in the control of access rights and houses sensitive applications, which need to be isolated from the Rich OS.

**GlobalPlatform TEE PP specifies the typical threats the hardware and software of the TEE needs to withstand. It also details the security objectives that are to be met in order to counter these threats and the security functional requirements that a TEE will have to comply with. A security assurance level of EAL2+ has been selected; the focus is on vulnerabilities that are subject to widespread, software-based exploitation.

About Trustonic
Trustonic is a venture formed in 2012 by blue chip leaders in the semiconductor industry (ARM) and digital security (Gemalto). Trustonic’s mission is to protect, enrich and simplify people’s digital lives by enabling optimum security on all smart connected devices and associated services and applications. Trustonic has already pioneered the adoption of advanced Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) security technology into the world’s leading mobile devices with working solutions today underpinning Samsung Knox, Samsung Pay, Alipay and Symantec VIP. Trustonic TEE technology is available from 15 of the leading 17 Android smartphone manufacturers and is embedded in more than 750 million devices.