Microchip announces the industry's first comprehensive security solution for Internet of Things (IoT) devices connected to the Amazon Web Services cloud (AWS IoT).Microchip and AWS collaborated to develop this comprehensive solution that enables IoT devices to be compatible with AWS's mutual authentication security model for IoT. Using Microchip's new security solution will allow companies to implement security best practices from the assessment phase through to production. The solution provides a high level of security, simplifies the supply chain, and is currently one of the easiest ways to connect to the AWS cloud.
Currently, third-party devices connecting to the AWS IoT service must implement specific actions to comply with the advanced security model. First, they must pre-register their security authorization on AWS servers to establish a trust model. Second, unique cryptographic keys mathematically linked to the security authorization pre-registration must be generated for each iOS device. Finally, these unique device keys must remain secret throughout the device's lifecycle. During mass production, generating and managing these unique keys can be a significant challenge in the production chain, particularly when third parties with varying levels of trust and compliance are involved.
Microchip's comprehensive security solution manages this process throughout all three production phases. First, the AT88CKECC kit enables customers to meet AWS mutual authentication model security standards and easily connect to the AWS IoT platform during the evaluation and engineering phases. Second, the AWS-ECC508 device allows customers to meet these security standards during the prototyping and pre-production stages. Finally, the devices are customized for the production stages, ensuring data security in customers' applications.
Customers simply solder the device to the board and connect it via I2C to the main microcontroller (MCU), which operates using an AWS SDK (Software Development Kit) powering the AWS ECC508 IoT device. Once this is complete, there is no need to upload the unique keys and certificates required for authentication during the device production phase, as the AWS-ECC508 comes pre-configured to be recognized by AWS without any intervention. All the necessary information is contained within the small (3x2mm) cryptographic device, making it easy to implement.
AWS and the ECC508 appliance naturally complement each other with comprehensive mutual authentication security capabilities. The appliance is resilient to environmental factors and mishandling, including protection against sophisticated intrusion attempts. Furthermore, the appliance features a high-quality random number generator, internal generation of unique security keys, and the ability to accommodate various diverse production workflows in a cost-effective manner. A typical IoT device consists of a small, battery-powered [8-bit] microcontroller. It is usually constrained by resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) to provide low-latency response, memory, and code space for security protocols and for calculating power consumption to preserve battery life. The ECC508 appliance has a low-power, cryptographically agnostic processor, making it compatible with the majority of resource-constrained IoT devices.
The AWS-ECC508 (ATECC508A-MAHAW-S and ATECC508A-SSHAW-T) is available in UDFN and SOIC packages and is available now for sampling and mass production.
