Nuvoton Technology Corporation

Oren Tanami

Ziv Hershman

Dan Morav

Moshe Alon

Ilan Margalit

Einat Luko

Yossef Talmi

A security device includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store security firmware (FW), an active cryptographic key and an inactive cryptographic key. The active cryptographic key is associated with an active authentication certificate for authenticating the active cryptographic key, and the inactive cryptographic key is associated with an inactive authentication certificate for authenticating the inactive cryptographic key. The processor is configured to carry out security tasks by executing the security FW, and, provided a security-update indication is received, to (i) inactivate the active cryptographic key and the active authentication certificate, and (ii) activate the inactive cryptographic key and the inactive authentication certificate.

Automatic root key and certificate update during firmware update procedure

A method for provisioning an electronic device includes providing a semiconductor wafer on which multiple integrated circuit (IC) chips have been fabricated. Each chip includes a secure memory and programmable logic, which is configured to store at least two keys in the secure memory and to compute digital signatures over data using the at least two keys. A respective first key is provisioned into the secure memory of each of the chips via electrical probes applied to contact pads on the semiconductor wafer. After dicing of the wafer, a respective second key is provisioned into the secure memory of each of the chips via contact pins of the chips. A respective provisioning report is received from each of the chips with a digital signature computed by the logic using both of the respective first and second keys. The provisioning is verified based on the digital signature.

Multi-stage provisioning of secret data

In one embodiment, a secure chip apparatus, includes a memory to store an encrypted value E and a one-way function output-value H, which is an output value of a one-way function computed with a nonce N as input, an interface to transfer data with an external device, and chip security circuitry to lock a portion of the chip apparatus from use, receive an unlock request from an unlocking hardware security module (HSM) via the interface, provide the encrypted value E to the HSM responsively to the unlock request, receive a value N' from the HSM, the value N&#x2032; being a decrypted value of the encrypted value E, compute a one-way function output-value H&#x2032; responsively to the value N&#x2032;, compare the value H&#x2032; to the value H, and unlock the portion of the chip apparatus for use responsively to a match between the value H&#x2032; and the value H.

PQA unlock

A system for improving utilization of a nonvolatile flash memory device which has pages whose guaranteed per-cycle erase time and guaranteed number of cycles are known, the system comprising erase time determination functionality for individual pages; de-facto total erase-time accumulation functionality incrementing, for each erase cycle to which an individual page is subjected, by the individual page's de facto erase time per cycle as provided by the erase time measurement functionality; and flash memory page usage monitoring functionality operative to control usage of pages in flash memory including selecting at least one individual flash memory page depending on a comparison between the individual flash memory page's de facto total erase time and a guaranteed erase time computed as a product of the guaranteed per-cycle erase time and of the guaranteed number of cycles.

System and methods for increasing useful lifetime of a flash memory device

A security device includes an interface and a processor. The interface is configured for connecting to a bus that serves one or more peripheral devices. The bus includes (i) one or more dedicated signals that are each dedicated to a respective one of the peripheral devices, and (ii) one or more shared signals that are shared among the peripheral devices served by the bus. The processor is connected to the bus as an additional device in addition to the peripheral devices, and is configured to disrupt on the bus a transaction in which a bus-master device attempts to access a given peripheral device, by disrupting a dedicated signal associated with the given peripheral device.

Secure access to peripheral devices over a bus

An apparatus includes an interface and a processor. The interface is configured for communicating over a bus. The processor is configured to disrupt on the bus a transaction in which a bus-master device attempts to access a peripheral device without authorization, by forcing one or more dummy values on at least one line of the bus in parallel to at least a part of the transaction.

Growing community of inventors

Raanana, Israel

Oren Tanami