NXP Delivers Enhanced Security Solution to Protect Personal Data for Payment and eGovernment Services

NXP adds PUF Anti-Cloning technology to its next generation SmartMX2 microcontroller enabling electronic identification solutions to thrive in the age of Smart Cities

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands, Sept. 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ:NXPI) today unveiled its next generation of SmartMX2 P60 Step-Up! that offers customers unique security features such as PUF (Physical Unclonable Function) anti-cloning technology for higher encryption key protection.

Today, many Smart City initiatives seek to make urban living simpler, safer and healthier. These initiatives drive greater demand for secure technologies to protect individual and financial credentials. To address this demand, NXP’s new SmartMX2 P60 Step-Up! Secure Element provides secure authentication and confidential data exchange.

To be first in market in smart cards, NXP is collaborating with MaskTech, the leading independent provider of high security smart card operating systems for electronic identification cards, travel documents and authentication solutions. Together, the companies will add PUF anti-cloning technology to secure smart cards for applications like ePassports, eID cards, driving licenses, health cards, payment cards and embedded security.

“Security and convenience for smart city solutions are of paramount importance,” said Managing Director at MaskTech, Dr. Hans Hanauer. “By adding the support for the PUF feature in the new MTCOS version, MaskTech stays at the leading edge of high security smart card technology. PUF is a completely new technology for the protection of credentials. We’re pleased to work with NXP, the leader in secure identification solutions, to deliver these smarter cards into the market.”

“NXP has a relentless commitment to develop state-of-the art products that meet the high-end security requirements for sensitive applications like payment, e-government and access management,” said Sébastien Clamagirand, Senior Director and General Manager Secure Identification at NXP. “Seeing the first roll-out of SmartMX with PUF technology is a great milestone and addresses the market need for high secure identification solutions.”

SmartMX2 P60 Step-Up!

• The latest SmartMX2 generation builds on the groundbreaking IntegralSecurityTM architecture and includes a series of new security enhancements:

• PUF support to secure the keys against new attack scenarios via unique “silicon fingerprint” with each single circuit

• Hardware-support for dedicated cryptography in certain regions: SEED (Korea), OSSCA (China)

• End-to-end encryption, AES and DES coprocessors for high resistance to side-channel attacks

• Mature Development Tool kit SmartICE based on a true Bondout Chip with identical-to-product hardware for a safe and application-compliant implementation with full planning reliability

• Soft Masking Device for early functional prototypes based on identical-to-product hardware to reduce the development cycle time via an approved physical reference instance

• Full amount of SmartMX2 security features, including NXP-patented SecureFetch and GlueLogic for optimum relief of operation system countermeasures and safe and fast composite certifications and approvals.