In today's increasingly interconnected world, cybersecurity has become a critical concern, especially for hardware and embedded systems. With cyber threats targeting firmware, supply chains, and physical components, ensuring robust security at the hardware level is essential. Cybersecurity certifications play a vital role in this landscape by providing standardized, verifiable assurance that products meet stringent security requirements. These certifications help protect systems from attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in hardware, firmware, and secure boot processes. Cybersecurity certifications are not just regulatory checkboxes; they are crucial for establishing trust in technology products. As cyberattacks become more sophisticated, industries such as automotive, industrial IoT, and cloud computing are demanding certified security solutions to mitigate risks. Regulatory bodies like the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and NIST frameworks emphasize the need for compliance, making cybersecurity certifications essential for market access, customer confidence, and competitive differentiation.Importance of Cybersecurity CertificationsCybersecurity certifications are critical in safeguarding digital infrastructures against evolving threats. They address vulnerabilities in various domains, including embedded systems, cloud services, industrial automation, and more. Certifications ensure that:*Trustworthiness: Products and systems are vetted for their ability to protect data and maintain operational integrity.*Compliance: They align with national and international regulatory requirements, such as the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), NIST standards, and ISO/IEC 27001.*Market Access: Certifications enable products to enter markets with stringent security requirements, providing a competitive edge.*Consumer Confidence: They reassure users about the safety and reliability of the technology they use.The Certification ProcessThe certification process encompasses several stages, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of cybersecurity measures. It involves collaboration between developers, testing labs, and certification bodies.1. Preparation*Requirement Definition: Developers identify the applicable standards and define the security requirements their product must meet. For instance, a smart grid hub may follow the Common Criteria Smart Grid Profile, which provides a comprehensive framework for assessing the security measures and resilience of grid components. Additionally, SoC vendors must adhere to Protection Profile PP0117 for secure subsystem certification. This ensures features like secure boot, external NVM protection, and data integrity meet stringent cybersecurity benchmarks.*Documentation: Comprehensive technical documentation is prepared, detailing the product's design, security measures, and intended use. This includes lifecycle documentation to ensure security is maintained throughout the product's operational and end-of-life phases, providing insights into development, deployment, and decommissioning processes. Technical documentation is prepared, detailing the product's design, security measures, and intended use.2. Evaluation*Independent Testing: Accredited labs conduct rigorous testing, including vulnerability analysis, penetration testing, and functional security assessments.*Risk Analysis: The product's potential vulnerabilities and threat vectors are evaluated against predefined criteria, such as those outlined in Common Criteria (ISO/IEC 15408).*Manufacturing Flow Audits: Site audits may be required to evaluate the production environment, ensuring adherence to cybersecurity and quality management practices. This includes verifying compliance with security protocols during manufacturing, storage, and logistics phases.3. Certification*Review and Approval: Certification bodies review the evaluation results and issue certificates if the product meets the required standards.*Labelling: Products often receive labels, such as the EU Cybersecurity Certification Framework or the US Cyber Trust Mark, signifying compliance.4. Maintenance*Ongoing Compliance: Certified products must undergo periodic audits and updates to address emerging threats and maintain certification validity.*Incident Response: Manufacturers are required to report vulnerabilities and provide timely updates to mitigate risks.Principles of Cybersecurity CertificationsCybersecurity certifications are grounded in principles that ensure their effectiveness and reliability. Key principles include:*Transparency: Certification criteria and processes are publicly available, ensuring clarity for stakeholders.*Independence: Testing and certification are conducted by third-party entities, ensuring unbiased results.*Relevance: Certifications are tailored to specific sectors, such as automotive, healthcare, and telecommunications, addressing unique security challenges.*Scalability: Certification frameworks accommodate varying levels of security, from basic to advanced, enabling broad applicability.Examples of Certification Frameworks1. Common Criteria (CC) (ISO/IEC 15408)*Widely recognized for evaluating IT products, CC provides a structured methodology for assessing security functionality and assurance levels.Example: Operating systems often leverage CC to validate their robustness, ensuring that critical security functionalities such as secure boot, memory isolation, and privilege management meet rigorous standards.2. IEC 62443*Focused on industrial automation and control systems, IEC 62443 addresses the cybersecurity requirements of operational technology environments.Example: A factory's programmable logic controller (PLC) may be certified under IEC 62443 to ensure resilience against cyberattacks.3. NIST Cybersecurity Framework*In the US, NIST provides guidelines for identifying, protecting, detecting, responding to, and recovering from cyber threats.Example: Cloud service providers adhere to NIST standards to secure data storage and processing.Role of Industry and Regulation in EnforcementThe enforcement of cybersecurity certifications relies on a combination of regulatory mandates and industry initiatives.*Regulatory Frameworks: Governments enforce certifications through acts and regulations, such as the EU's RED (Radio Equipment Directive) and CRA. These regulations mandate cybersecurity compliance for products entering the market.*Industry Standards: Industry consortia like Eurosmart, GlobalPlatform, and the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) develop specifications that align with certification requirements. These organizations ensure that certifications address current and emerging threats effectively. Additionally, EMVCo exemplifies this role in the payment systems industry by providing standards and certifications for secure payment card transactions, demonstrating the importance of collaborative efforts in maintaining security.*Consumer Advocacy: Educated consumers demand certified products, driving manufacturers to prioritize compliance. Public awareness campaigns about the importance of cybersecurity certifications enhance their impact.Challenges in CertificationDespite their benefits, cybersecurity certifications face challenges:*Rapid Technological Advancements: Keeping pace with emerging technologies, such as quantum computing and AI, requires continuous updates to certification frameworks.*Global Harmonization: Variations in certification requirements across regions complicate global compliance.*Cost and Time: The certification process can be resource-intensive, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).Future DirectionsAs the digital landscape evolves, cybersecurity certifications must adapt to address new challenges. Key areas of focus include:*Integration of Emerging Technologies: Certifications will need to encompass advancements in areas like blockchain and edge computing.*Dynamic Certification Models: Continuous certification approaches, leveraging real-time monitoring and AI-driven assessments, could replace static models.*Global Collaboration: Enhanced cooperation between international standards bodies will streamline certification processes and promote harmonization.Winbond's Secure Flash Memory SolutionsWinbond, a global leader in semiconductor memory solutions, offers secure flash memory products designed to meet stringent cybersecurity certification requirements. Our high-performance, resilient flash memory supports secure boot, authenticated firmware updates, and platform integrity verification, aligning with global security standards such as NIST 800-193, NIST 800-208, EN18031, and is qualified by Common Criteria and SESIP certifications.Winbond's secure flash solutions help system manufacturers achieve compliance with industry regulations, improve platform security, and protect against cyber threats targeting hardware vulnerabilities. Learn more about Winbond's secure flash products by visiting our website: Winbond Secure Solutions.ConclusionCybersecurity certifications are indispensable in securing the digital ecosystem. Adhering to established processes and principles provides a robust framework for mitigating risks and fostering trust. As technology continues to evolve, certifications will remain a critical tool in ensuring the safety, reliability, and resilience of digital products and services worldwide.For more information on how Winbond can support your security and compliance needs, visit Winbond's website or contact Winbond directly, or download the latest Hardware Security White Paper.
Low-powered, low-level light therapy with light-emitting diodes (LED) at some specific wavelengths has attracted attention in wound healing indications to accelerate wound healing and ameliorate pain for enhancing quality of life. For example, based on the development in the NASA Space Medicine Laboratory, the wavelength of 830 nm offers deep penetration into living biological tissue, including bone. A growing body of clinical evidence is showing the healing outcomes with effective results. There are also startups aiming to provide new healthcare devices that use clinically useful irradiance.Light Photons Co., as a Taiwan-based startup, develops a range of healthcare products based on AVS (Audio-visual Stimulation) and LLLT (Low-Level Light Therapy) technologies to seek the potential of skin conditions, alleviating joint pain, or improving relaxation function. These solutions are becoming a fast-growing technology to treat many situations that require healing stimulation, relief of pain or inflammation, and restoration of function, leveraging photons at a non-thermal irradiance to alter biological activities. Yen Lin (known as Wilson Lin) founded Light Photons in 2024. In this interview, he talked about his product ideas, which initially came from his previous work in the semiconductor and personal computer (PC) industries. His Lab background in high-frequency serial bus and optical played a crucial role in identifying and developing the company's core technology. With years of experience as a PC system architect and gaining valuable skills in Firmware / Software design, system engineering, and technical problem-solving, the primary challenges came from understanding and integrating knowledge from various fields, such as optics, electronics, and biology. Looking at his background, he started developing Firmware. He began the journey of deepening knowledge of high-speed serial bus communication protocols, including PCIe, USB interfacing technologies, and more hardware-software integration after joining AMD, HPE, and ODM companies. He explained his work scope at HPE LAB since 2010 for research, development, and verification of related digital signaling systems by incorporating high-frequency bands protocols and other related fiber optic technology in laboratory work.Credit: CompanyThe Brain Computer Interface capabilities in indirect effectThrough many years of R&D work, he enrolled in an extensive practical R&D management academic training program (EMRD) at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST). He joined the study at Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) for introductory neuroscience courses. In these study courses and extended studies, he was motivated by his desire to find that the treatment's capabilities and the human body's effectiveness can make biological data networks, just like a PC system. During these courses, multiple continuous international studies have provided a more reliable possibility of the human body's cognitive pathway to transmit messages through a smaller and closed network, which could be analyzed through different methods. He started to develop and make prototyping LED-based electronics devices, focusing on light-related solutions that harness light's benefits to impact skin and bone health positively. So, Lin's basic product concept explores human body networks and communication behavior with light wavelengths and wave frequencies influence. Light Photons' product strategy is focused on the healthcare market for rehabilitation and relaxation. The company is targeting the initial market expansion to the Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern markets.Improve cognitive functionLight therapy has been used to treat some mental and sleep disorders for years. Lin set his research topic to identify the capability of these technologies through his collaborative research projects. Based on the conference paper in 2024 titled ??Adequate LED-based light with EEG alpha wave discussed in the Relaxation?? in the IEEE 6th Eurasia Conference on Biomedical Engineering, Healthcare and Sustainability Conference. In this paper, Lin and the team in this project conducted a research study that involved a group of 30 participants aged between 20 and 40 years old. Measuring alpha brain wave percentage in individuals and referencing the General Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7) check routine during the experiment. This design can reveal patterns associated with comparison. In this study, each individual will be exposed to the light generated by Lin??s LED-based device at a distance between 20 and 60 centimeters for a time duration of 5 to 20 minutes. A six-channel dipole record was collected based on an electroencephalography (EEG) alpha wave frequency review. With these scientific data gathering, the paper shows a table to measure and analyze the effectiveness of light wavelengths. Meanwhile, after this physical light exposure and measurement procedures, each participant will be investigated following the Anxiety Disorder Diagnostic Table GAD-7 to answer a brief self-report questionnaire to assess the emotional ratings and indicate the difference after the light treatment. This study concludes the effectiveness of blue-green and orange-red wavelengths in dark environments, giving the Low-Level Light devices positive results. In this study, 95% of participants experienced positive emotional states, which is a strong understanding of their product design concept. After months of implementing design improvements, the company recently announced its new product series, including AVS (Audio-visual Stimulation) equipment and LLLT (Low-Level Light Therapy) devices. Both products leverage LED-based technology to generate low-level lights based on visual light wavelengths. Lin gives a simple and straightforward demonstration with his smart watch to record the different scores to indicate the effectiveness before and after using LED-based and AVS-based devices. This demo shows the product's capability proposition and possibility. There are several enquiries during Arab Health 2025 in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to introduce devices as effective self-care devices.Credit: CompanyContinuous study of the light and wave effects on skin and bone remodelingThe skin is naturally exposed to light more than any other organ, with visual and non-visual light wavelengths. The company referenced the light wavelength range for skin effectiveness. It still responds well to red and near-infrared wavelengths as the device's base light source. The company is exploring red light electronic devices as a tool to support skin health. To expand its product offerings, the company developed a new product lineup, including the Anti series for visual light wavelengths. Lin provides different mindsets for rehabilitation considerations compared with similar products in the healthcare market. According to understanding the rehabilitation phases, each phase contains different conditions for mixed light wavelengths and waves in frequency. The first product is an Anti-Oxid device, which can be used during the Cell inflammatory phase. The Activation AVS device will consider situations during the Cell proliferation phase. The Strong AVS device will perform the Cell or bone remodeling phases in the third phase. For healthcare considerations, there are always some primary processes to achieve the market's goal. Production is only part of this process. These ongoing development projects show the design capability of Lin??s engineering teams. Nowadays, Light Photons Co. provides Low-Level Light electronic devices for rehabilitation and relaxation purposes. The LED-based series devices consume under 1 watt of power, just like night lamp devices, but provide various functionality with safety and sustainable features for the rehabilitation market. The rehabilitation equipment market encompasses a wide range of devices and tools designed to help individuals recover, improve, or maintain their physical capabilities following injury, surgery, illness, or the onset of chronic conditions. For this high-growth market, the company's business model involves manufacturing and design of products under the OEM and ODM frameworks. They are also open to collaborating on research projects and will likely explore new designs and product concepts.For further product information, please refer to the links ofhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/light-photons-corporate/
Smiths Interconnect, a leading provider of high-reliability connectivity products and solutions serving segments of aerospace and defense, medical, semiconductor test, and industrial markets, announces its top-performing distributors in 2024.The Distribution Awards initiative recognizes business partners who have significantly contributed to the growth of Smiths Interconnect across its three operating regions: the Americas, EMEA, and Asia. Winners in each region were selected based on their exceptional performance compared to the previous fiscal year. "With the Smiths Interconnect Distribution Awards, we recognize the vital role our distributors play in our success, and we look forward to continued growth for our businesses," said Vera Parker, President of Smiths Interconnect.Thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of our distributors across all three regions, a greater number of business partners have been awarded this year. A total of seven distributors have been honored for their outstanding contributions.In the Americas, FDH Electronics has been awarded the distributor of the year. FDH is a long-lasting partner of Smiths Interconnect (beginning the business relationship with Electro Enterprises), and over the years, they have proved to be a trusted and collaborative partner. A couple of recent initiatives have contributed to their growth: the Hyper series stocking package made FDH Electronics an international partner for the selected hyperboloid contacts, and the stocking package for cPCI connectors definitely boosted their growth.Jerilynn Johnston, Distribution Manager Americas, and Brian Long, Director of America Sales at Smiths Interconnect, celebrate 2024 Americas distribution award with Mitch Enright, President, and Nathan Little, Vice President, Sales at FDH Electronics. Credit: Smiths InterconnectIn the EMEA region, Smiths Interconnect has recognized two distinct distributors for their outstanding growth throughout 2024. The Spanish distributor SCP SINTERSA (Sistemas de Interconexión SA) has achieved the best growth during 2024 for the Connectors product line.Thanks to its well-established sales network and strong business relationships with key customers, the Spanish company has achieved outstanding results across the Iberian Peninsula. These successes are also driven by a solid inventory of connectors and the added value provided by its cabling services.The Turkish company Matec Elektronik received the second EMEA award for their outstanding contribution to the Fiber Optic and Components product lines in 2024, including key support in maintaining a positive relationship with local customers.Last but not least, as it presents the higher number of awards, Asia was one of the most active areas from a distribution standpoint. For this reason, Smiths Interconnect has decided to award the following 4 business partners:Sangdo Electronics: Highly Commended Distributor for Business Growth 2024 for the Connectors product line. Throughout the year, Sangdo was particularly active in the design-in activity for Space and Industrial applications and won some important new projects.HS4B: Highly Commended Distributor for Business Growth 2024 for the Fiber Optic and Components product line. They have done an exceptional job of promoting this product line and growing its business in South Korea.Shanghai Huili Technology Development: Distributor of the Year 2024 for Semiconductor Products. This is the second consecutive year they have received the award. In 2024, they continued the exceptional performance demonstrated in 2023, contributing to a 33% increase in sales. They have also consistently shown strong motivation to expand our activity in China, where they have nearly doubled Smiths Interconnect's business over the past two years.Smiths Interconnect China Semiconductor Test Division Sales Director Eason Xu (right) presents the award to Shanghai Huili Technology Development General Manager Arthur Shu (left). Credit: Smiths InterconnectConn-tek Electronics: Highly Commended Distributor for Business Growth 2024 for Semiconductor Products. This special award is a recognition for their support and collaboration both in the consolidated Chinese market and in the growing Taiwanese, one where they were able to provide logistics support and helped push our potential business growth.Smiths Interconnect China Semiconductor Test Division Sales Director Eason Xu (right) presents the award to Conn-tek Shanghai Sales Director Simon Yang (left). Credit: Smiths InterconnectThrough ongoing innovation and closer collaboration, Smiths Interconnect will work with global distributors to jointly explore broader market opportunities in the future.
LITEON Technology (LITEON) is actively deploying new Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted vision software technologies enabling a wide variety of features for improved road safety and driver convenience. At AI EXPO Taiwan 2025, organized by DIGITIMES, LITEON showcases a series of breakthrough innovations leveraging existing vehicle hardware and optimized AI algorithms to equip vehicles with software that upgrades driving safety. Brady Jung, Associate Vice President of LITEON Core Competence Technology Research Center, describes the new technology strategy focused on the safe driving sector in this interview.This research and development organization aims to develop advanced technologies over the next 5 to 10 years, targeting software development to sharpen LITEON's long-term competitiveness. Simultaneously, the technology development team is looking for promising startups for potential investments, pushing the boundaries of what's possible and shaping the future of technology. The following vision software demos assist drivers in detecting potentially dangerous conditions, advancing road safety.Monitor driver attentiveness to detect 'See You Unseen' and enhance worry-free drivingThe first technology monitors driver attentiveness and driving behavior to identify potentially dangerous driving patterns. This vision software leverages DMS (Driver Monitoring System) cameras mounted on the upper windshield area or near the steering wheel to estimate a driver's gaze direction. Jung provides typical examples of distracted driving: a driver makes a right turn with clear signaling but turns his head to the left because he notices something interesting. This technology can detect where drivers are looking by analyzing their head movements and providing real-time safety warnings to prevent potentially dangerous situations. This vision software benefits drivers by monitoring their condition and evaluating how safely they are handling the vehicle.Panoramic multi-object tracking to determine the movements of objects around vehicleThe second demonstration is the multi-object tracking technology, such as detecting pedestrian movements or other approaching vehicles, to predict possible changes in driving situations on the road. This software uses a combination of AI algorithms to develop a comprehensive understanding of the driving environment, enabling better utilization of the vehicle's camera systems. One of the unique features of this software is consolidating data from multiple cameras into a single, coherent perception result of identified objects. By leveraging surround-view multi-object tracking technology and processing massive image data from multiple cameras, the software can rapidly recognize people and other objects around the vehicle and even predict their future trajectories.Simulate human vision to detect 3D objects for mitigating potential accidentsInspired by human binocular vision, the third demo aims to track 3D objects by identifying object depth using two cameras. The camera arrangement can consist of one camera at the front of the car and another on either side, creating a viewing angle difference similar to human binocular perception. This vision software detects the depth of objects. Jung cites a common scenario in which ordinary vehicles struggle to accurately determine the actual location and depth of sidewalk curbs when parking on the roadside. This software helps prevent common mistakes that cause tire and rim damage from hitting curbs. The benefit of this software is improved accuracy in perceiving the 3D shapes of objects, such as road curbs in the above example.Subtle facial physiological reaction capturing and understanding to predict risksThe fourth technology integrates DMS cameras to capture drivers' facial physiological signs while driving. Even under challenging lighting conditions, this technology can accurately detect subtle facial fatigue signals across wide variations in brightness and diverse driving environments. This vision software utilizes a near-infrared (NIR) camera to capture subtle physiological signs, such as pulse fluctuations on the driver's face or neck. In collaboration with two top universities and their medical schools in Taiwan, several ongoing research projects aim to deepen the interpretation of drivers' physiological signs. It is especially crucial to analyze rapid pulse changes, as understanding these can enhance driving safety and contribute to the development of early risk warning systems.LITEON explores the crucial role of middleware suppliers with AI vision softwareBehind these technologies lies the core strength that LITEON has built up over the years in the automotive market. With expertise in hardware optical devices and cameras, LITEON possesses unique advantages in developing automotive vision software. Nowadays, modern cars are typically equipped with more than 10 built-in cameras as standard features. The massive amount of image data and video streams captured from a vehicle's cameras provides fertile ground for disruptive innovations, unlocking emerging revenue opportunities in the automotive industry. Leveraging powerful AI algorithms, LITEON develops vision software stacks and actively plays the role of automotive middleware provider. LITEON is aggressively selling a business model for vision system integration in the automotive sector.Jung emphasized several unique strengths that enable LITEON to explore the automotive vision software business. First, LITEON's vision perception technologies offer significantly broader coverage, simultaneously addressing human drivers and the surrounding vehicle environment. Jung refers to this approach as "Human-Vehicle Integration," highlighting the company's core technologies and know-how in the integrated detection of people and vehicles. Second, by utilizing existing Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and vehicle cameras, LITEON implements specialized "Camera-Independent" technology to fine-tune image quality across different car models. This ensures consistent image quality performance, maintaining reliable detection and monitoring capabilities. Third, through its extensive history of collaboration with global brands and automotive Tier 1 suppliers, LITEON has established long-term partnerships and works closely with supply chains, accelerating new product development and significantly reducing customers' time-to-market.Furthermore, to maximize vision software performance across various ECU systems and vehicle models, LITEON continues to invest heavily in developing lightweight AI algorithms. These optimized algorithms drive computing power efficiency, delivering higher computational performance while being less resource-intensive and more power-efficient across mainstream ECU platforms. This design aligns with long-term automotive industry trends toward sustainable growth, innovative solutions, and meeting consumer and regulatory demands.As automotive applications evolve, the focus remains on minimizing environmental impact and enhancing driving safety and convenience. In the upcoming phase, LITEON is engaging with global automotive brands and Tier 1s to demonstrate vision software through linking and displaying on the infotainment screen. Additional procedures include preparing a physical demo vehicle for real-time testing and verification on the customer side. Through these efforts, LITEON is actively stepping into the safe-driving software market, expanding its software solutions by leveraging core competencies and incorporating AI-powered features to identify another significant growth engine in the future. For further information about LITEON's solutions, please visit www.liteon.com or view the introduction video titled "See Your Unseen. Worry-Free Driving." here.
Singapore has established itself as a leader in developments related to artificial intelligence. By using government funds, forging important partnerships, and investing heavily in talent, Singapore has managed to be a prime spot for AI investments and prepare for a future based on automation, digital infrastructures, and smart offerings.The government will use more than S$1 billion over the next five years for AI, mainly to acquire top-tier chips and shape a computing environment that can help new technologies in various sectors. Through Budget 2025, the government unveiled the Enterprise Compute Initiative with S$150 million intended for assisting companies to access AI and computing services by teaming up with leading cloud companies. The National Productivity Fund was boosted by S$3 billion to help companies become more innovative and raise efficiency.Still, building the strategy goes beyond putting in place the right technology. Launched late in 2023, the National AI Strategy 2.0 is aimed at bringing about long-term changes across various sectors. The plan is founded on three main goals: advancing the industry, training people, and joining efforts with other nations, by supporting 15 precise steps to support AI research, grow the number of skilled people locally, and increase Singapore's global AI importance. A key aim is to ensure the national AI workforce grows to have over 15,000 professionals by 2030.It is so effective due to how well it matches real-world situations. What used to be just a new technology is now a part of daily activities in Singapore. AI is used in hospitals to help with diagnosis and organize the care that patients receive. Because of predictive models, managing fleets, narrowing down delivery times, and saving fuel is now happening in logistics. AI is being used by manufacturers locally to monitor equipment and avoid breakdowns in advance.In addition, the impact reaches many areas, covering the way people get to and from work, how they work and how they relax. Smart Nation projects make use of AI to optimize traffic and manage the use of energy. AI speech recognition technology works with numerous languages in Southeast Asia to support more people in using various services. Also, entertainment is now focused on what suits each person, with services recommending different forms of entertainment using powerful algorithms.That same shift is happening in online gaming and betting. With more people choosing to bet online in Singapore, platforms are using AI to offer smarter odds, detect suspicious behavior, and personalize the user journey. These tools not only improve user experience but also help providers maintain integrity and security in a fast-paced digital space.The funding boom is already showing results. Singapore drew in nearly USD 2 billion in artificial intelligence investments last year. SMC and other companies were able to raise nearly half of the total amount through one round to promote their worldwide growth. AI Singapore and the MERaLiON Consortium are encouraging partnerships between local and global groups to increase the use of responsible AI. Because of its clear rules, strong leadership and first-rate research centers, Singapore keeps supporting the growth of regional tech companies.Another major part of the strategy is developing the workforce. Students are helped by LearnAI, and middle-career workers are updating their knowledge with the help of SkillsFuture. They are meant to help people take advantage of opportunities in fast-growing industries. In addition, companies gain value from the Workforce Development Grant, which assists with training their staff as they switch to digital platforms.More technology in everyday life is raising questions about ethics and what we should do. Clear instructions for fairness, transparency and accountability in the Singapore AI Governance Framework assist in addressing these issues. Since AI has a clear focus on real-world issues, regulators in the EU are using the same model in their other activities.Singapore's AI-driven transformation is reshaping industries, improving efficiency, and enhancing everyday life. However, as technology integrates deeper into financial systems, entertainment platforms, and even online gaming, individuals must remain vigilant about investment risks and responsible gambling. AI-powered financial tools and betting algorithms can enhance user experience, but they also require careful evaluation. It is essential to conduct thorough research, exercise caution, and make informed decisions to avoid potential pitfalls in rapidly evolving digital landscapes.
Shanghai is braced to welcome some of the biggest names in mobile technology to the 2025 Mobile World Congress at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from June 18th to the 20th. This event has been held in China for 12 years, and local and international operators, solution providers, and vendors have had the opportunity to come together to improve the connectivity ecosystem in the country.Mobile technology has never been as sought after, with communications providers and consumers relying on relationships to drive development. In 2024, it was estimated that around 71% of the planet now had access to smartphone devices, and they have improved convenience and access for many.Mobile banking and the rise of crypto investment and use are examples of how mobile technology has improved financial inclusivity for consumers in countries with unstable financial institutions. The gambling industry has also benefited massively from online operations, with consumers living in prohibitive regions now having access to real money online casino options both legally and safely.Mobile tech has also improved consumer convenience with all types of shopping and communication possible through mobile devices, facilitating an easier work-life balance.Events like the MWC have been instrumental in building relationships between stakeholders, developers, and legislators that have facilitated mobile tech growth. This platform was created by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), a trade association tasked with supporting and promoting the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard.The GSMA now focuses on the standardization of tech and cooperation and interoperability between mobile networks. It provides industry insights and research, helping to encourage innovative mobile technology. There are now five MWC events held around the world, including the MWC Barcelona, Kigali, Las Vegas, Doha, and Shanghai events.MWC25 Shanghai is set to welcome approximately 40,000 attendees, with about 400 speakers and 250 exhibitors, and partners. Some of the featured speakers attending this year's event include the managing director of AI Club Asia, Bo Gao, China Mobile's Chengdu Industry Research Institute President, Yu Su, and China Telecom's chief scientist, Qi Bi.Speakers from Deloitte China, Intel, Nokia Shanghai Bell Co., Space42, Qualcomm, Singtel, and ZTE will also be present, with a full list of speakers available to check on the MWC Shanghai 2025 website.News that the event agenda has been released will give attendees an opportunity to plan ahead, with countless talks and exhibits covering everything from cloud services, AI, transport, and mobile services to cybersecurity, corporate innovation, fintech, and much more. Everything kicks off with the opening ceremony at 9:00 am on Wednesday, the 18th of June, at the MWC Main Stage, which is located at the Grand Shanghai Ballroom.The opening ceremony will also feature the first keynote speeches from GSMA director general Vivek Badrinath, China Mobile's Yang Jie, and Singapore Telecommunications' Anna Yip. Visitors will hear about the potential of AI, open APIs, and the benefits of 5G networks from industry experts in a session moderated by GSMA CEO John Hoffman.Visitors will have a great choice of programmes to attend, with the final one taking place on Friday, the 20th, at 1:30 pm. Guang Yang, Neil Shah, and Fanni Li will look back over the event and discuss some of the key points and technologies that featured.Exhibitions will take place throughout the event, with the 4YFN zone being the place to investigate for those with an interest in exciting innovative startups. The IOTE showcase covers Internet of Things developments. Visitors can also enjoy the World Robot Contest Qualifying round, while the Future Tech Hall explores the benefits of emerging mobile technologies.ConclusionThe MWC25 Shanghai is China's premier mobile tech event and showcases the new technologies that could shape the future of tech development from June 18th to the 20th at the SNIEC.
Credit: PEGATRONPEGATRON, a globally recognized Design, Manufacturing, and Service (DMS) provider, is pleased to announce its participation in GTC Paris 2025, where it will introduce a comprehensive lineup of next-generation AI server solutions. Built on Nvidia Blackwell architecture, PEGATRON's latest systems are tailored to meet the evolving demands of AI training, reasoning, and enterprise-scale deployments.Nvidia GB300 NVL72Leading the showcase is the RA4802-72N2, built on the Nvidia GB300 NVL72 rack system. This high-performance platform incorporates 72 Nvidia Blackwell Ultra GPUs and 36 Nvidia Grace CPUs, delivering up to a 50X increase in AI factory output with advanced inference capabilities. To address the demands of high-performance workloads, the rack features PEGATRON's in-house developed Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU), supporting 310 kW of cooling capacity and equipped with redundant hot-swappable pumps to ensure reliability and operational efficiency in mission-critical data center environments.Nvidia HGX B300 liquid-cooled and air-cooled solutionsAlso featured is the AS208-2A1, a 2U liquid-cooled AI GPU server equipped with an Nvidia HGX B300 system with dual AMD EPYC™ 9005 processors in a compact form factor. Scalable within a 48U Nvidia MGX rack, it supports configurations of up to 128 GPUs and 32 CPUs, operating under a high-efficiency direct liquid cooling design. Optimized for the AI reasoning era, the system leverages the Blackwell Ultra architecture to deliver breakthrough performance for complex workloads such as agentic systems, real-time reasoning, and video generation, making it an ideal platform for next-generation AI data centers. For data centers seeking robust compute capabilities without a liquid cooling infrastructure, PEGATRON introduces an 8U air-cooled GPU server featuring an Nvidia HGX B300 systems. This system supports either dual Intel® Xeon® 6 processors (AS801-2T1) or AMD EPYC™ 9005 CPUs (AS801-2A1), providing deployment flexibility while maintaining high-performance compute for AI model training, scientific research, and advanced analytics.Nvidia RTX PRO serverRounding out the portfolio is the AS400-2A1, a 4U RTX PRO server that integrates 8 Nvidia RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs and dual AMD EPYC™ 9005 processors. This platform offers near-universal acceleration for a wide range of enterprise AI workloads—from multimodal AI inference and physical AI to design, scientific computing, graphics, and video applications. It supports the Nvidia MGX PCIe Switch Board with the ConnectX-8 SuperNIC, enabling 800 Gbps ultra-high-speed networking in a single device, high throughput and improved energy and cost efficiency, making it an ideal foundation for modern AI infrastructure."As AI continues to reshape industries, the need for powerful, scalable, and energy-efficient infrastructure is more critical than ever," said May Wang, vice president of PEGATRON. "Our new platforms—built on Nvidia Blackwell Ultra and RTX PRO architectures—are purpose-built for the next generation of data center and enterprise AI factories, enabling customers to unlock new levels of performance, reliability, and productivity."PEGATRON welcomes technology leaders, innovators, and data center professionals to visit Booth G10 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles on June 11–12, 2025. Connect with PEGATRON's expert team to discover how our AI-optimized platforms are shaping the future of intelligent infrastructure.For more information, please visit PEGATRON SVR website and follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.https://svr.pegatroncorp.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pegatron-svr/?originalSubdomain=twhttps://www.youtube.com/@pegatroncorp.6158About PegatronPEGATRON Corporation (hereafter referred to as "PEGATRON") was founded on January 1, 2008. With abundant product development experience and vertically integrated manufacturing, Pegatron is committed to providing clients with innovative design, systematic production and manufacturing service to comprehensively and efficiently satisfy all our customers' needs. Drawing on accumulated experience in server design and manufacturing, Pegatron now focuses on developing a variety of state-of-the-art servers that meet the requirements of present and future Cloud Service Providers' data centers, as well as enterprise-grade data centers.
In the age of digital residents, semiconductor chips are present in almost every aspect of our lives. Whether it is from data centers to computers, cell phones, computer central processing units, and other electronic devices there are a variety of chips installed. Contemporary microprocessors or graphics processors can hold more than 50 billion transistors on them, with a failure rate of just shy of one in a billion. To achieve such levels of reliability in chip operation, Smiths Interconnect's test sockets play a critical role in the overall chip design and package testing process.The role of testingWhat role does the chip play in these devices? The role of various chips on top of these electronic devices is more similar to the role played by various organs of the human body. The overall management of electronic devices and computing logic processing, etc., need the CPU (the core component is the chipset), the CPU is equivalent to the human brain. Electronic devices to identify sound, processing audio, need audio processing chip, equivalent to the human body's ears. Electronic devices receive images and process pictures, requiring a picture processing chip, which is equivalent to the human body's glasses. In short, these devices have various functions that require corresponding chips to achieve, just like the human body's various organs to achieve different functions.From the 'brains' of processing units to the 'eyes' of imaging systems, every socket undergoes comprehensive testing to ensure optimal performance. Credit: Smiths InterconnectTesting during production plays an important role in ensuring reliability and repeatability. Semiconductor manufacturing plants perform tests at each stage of production to eliminate defective parts as early as possible, while precisely controlling each process parameter of the chip. The factory first performs basic functional testing of the semiconductor chip core at the wafer level, discarding any faulty parts, and then separates the tested chips into individual units and packages them for further testing. Usually the chip is tested up to 20 times before it leaves the factory. Most testing is done by special equipment attached to the chip, which uses electrical signals to stimulate the chip to simulate the real state and capture the response of the chip to see if it meets the design requirements. These are known as automatic test equipment (ATE) systems typically sell for $1 million to $2 million and can be programmed to test a variety of chips for many years.Smith Interconnect Semiconductor test solutionsSmiths Interconnect offers high quality test sockets with a wide variety of spring contacts designed using different design standards. The products are flexible, design optimized and quick to deliver. Test sockets are available in a variety of leaded and leadless package types, including leadless (QFN) packages, quad flat packages (QFP), small outline integrated circuits (SOIC), ball grid array (BGA) packages, and connection tray grid array (LGA) packages.Representative test socket: DaVinci high speed test socketSmith Interconnect's DaVinci Series test socket is a high-performance coaxial socket that precisely tackles 56/112G SerDes PAM4 test challenge. Consumer demand for next-generation technologies such as the Internet of Things, 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning and self-driving vehicles require high-speed data transmission and processing technologies, and high-reliability testing is critical for the high-speed, multifunctional digital and analog devices that drive them.The DaVinci Series test socket offers high-speed, high-reliability testing for advanced 5G and AI chips. Credit: Smiths InterconnectIn a wide range of high-speed applications, DaVinci series high-speed test sockets are the ideal high-speed solution for testing large network switching core chips introduced for 5G and cloud computing. DaVinci high-speed application sockets IC sockets integrate spring probe technology and patented insulation materials to provide excellent signal integrity and high mechanical durability. The socket provides an impedance-controlled coaxial solution with analog RF up to 67 GHz and digital transmission speeds of 112 Gb/s. The use of spring probe technology in a patented insulating material housing results in a coaxial structure that reduces test height and material deflection. In addition the reduced test height and low material deflection characteristics of the new DaVinci High Speed Series ensure efficiency and accuracy in the final test phase of intelligent network visualization technologies, 5G and artificial intelligence applications. The new DaVinci Series also features a fully shielded signal path, a socket frame that acts as a heat sink for excellent thermal performance, and interchangeable spring-loaded probe contacts. It is rated at 3.0A and has a low contact resistance (<80mΩ).With the current upgrade of high-speed communication standards such as 5G, designers of chip ICs for consumer electronics, smart driving and power management are increasingly using QFN packages in applications where both stringent electrical performance requirements and the smallest possible chip form factor and footprint are required. With their directly connected peripheral pad structure, large ground blocks for thermal and electrical performance, and very thin stack heights, QFN packages offer unparalleled advantages, but also present a new set of test challenges. Addressing these test challenges requires a stable, reliable and electrically "clean" test socket solution.Whether our customers' challenges are cost, R&D capability, lead time or quality, Smiths Interconnect aims to provide customers with the best possible solution for IC testing.
As the demand for secure and efficient embedded solutions continues to grow, manufacturers are integrating secure subsystems into System-on-Chip (SoC) architectures. Professionals such as engineers, security architects, systems architects, and product developers involved in embedded security, secure elements (SE), SIM cards, and hardware security modules (HSMs) for 5G connected devices—such as smartphones, IoT devices, and automotive applications—need to understand Protection Profile 0117 (PP0117). The article aims to elucidate how PP0117 establishes the security framework for integrating secure subsystems into SoCs, highlights its differences from PP0084, and discusses its endorsement by the GSMA, the global authority on mobile security.What is a protection profile?A Protection Profile (PP) is a security guideline document that standardizes the development, integration, and evaluation of security mechanisms in hardware and software. PP0117 was specifically designed to define security requirements for integrated secure subsystems in SoCs, such as embedded SIMs (eSIMs) and secure elements (SEs).Before PP0117, Protection Profile PP0084 was widely used for stand-alone security components, such as SIM cards and secure elements. However, integrating these components directly into SoCs presents new challenges that PP0084 does not address, such as defining security boundaries within complex chip architectures. PP0117 was developed to overcome these challenges, ensuring strong security for integrated secure elements (iSE) in SoCs.IntroductionProtection Profile 0117 (PP0117) is a protection profile designed to facilitate the integration of a secure subsystem (3S) into large-scale System on Chip (SoC) architectures.Prior to PP0117, Protection Profile PP0084 was used to evaluate stand-alone security components such as secure elements (SE) and SIM cards. However, when integrating the logical functions of SE or similar devices into a larger SoC, the implementation constraints render obsolete some of the methods and requirements of PP0084.Secure Sub-System in System-on-Chip (3S in SoC) Protection Profile was developed to address the security of integrated solutions and provide the industry with a unified set of clear and assessable security requirements to be fulfilled.This PP was developed under the Eurosmart association by gathering the technical committee members, including developers, labs (ITSEF), and certification bodies. The certification body selected for PP0117 is the German Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI).PP0084 vs PP0117 based designsPP0084, originally designed for discrete security elements (such as SIM cards and smart card chips), assumes a physically isolated security boundary with strict interface protocols.By contrast, PP0117 adapts security guidelines for secure elements integrated into SoCs with complex internal and external interfaces. The key differences include:Credit: WinbondPP0117 ensures that integrated secure elements maintain the same level of security as stand-alone secure elements, while adapting security requirements to the realities of SoC design.There are several major differences that need to be considered when designing and evaluating a secure subsystem in a large SoC, as opposed to a stand-alone secure controller.The most notable differences arise from process constraints in device fabrication, such as the absence of embedded non-volatile storage and the difficulty in defining security boundaries. Evaluating an integrated secure subsystem is also more complex compared to a stand-alone device. This complexity stems from the numerous interfaces the integrated subsystem shares with the rest of the SoC, as opposed to a stand-alone device with limited pinouts and strict interface protocols. Consequently, all parties involved in the design, fabrication, evaluation, and utilization of such secure subsystems must adhere to a more comprehensive set of guidelines, as outlined by PP0117.A standard SE or eSIM is packaged in a small, limited pin-count package. In terms of security evaluation, this small, packaged device constitutes the Target of Evaluation (TOE). Evaluating such a device is relatively straightforward due to its limited range of connectivity and interfacing options. However, in the case of a large SoC, the majority, if not all, of the secure subsystem's interfaces are internal to the die and are seldom externalized. Additionally, there may be extra interfaces that are not typically present in stand-alone security devices, such as memory interfaces, debug interfaces, system bus interfaces, and those used for more advanced functions.PP0117 is designed to guide the development and evaluation of integrated secure functionality, defining the requirements for such interfaces and outlining methods to assess their security.PP0117 version 2 and GSMA endorsementThe GSMA (Groupe Speciale Mobile Association) is the global organization that sets security standards for mobile network security, SIM technology, and eUICC (embedded SIMs). In 2024, GSMA endorsed PP0117 as the security framework for integrated eUICC (embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card) implementations.GSMA recently published eUICC (embedded SIM) Protection Profile V2.0. This Protection Profile allows for both discrete eUICC and integrated TRE (Tamper Resistant Element) implementations for embedded SIM/UICC implementation. The Protection Profile V2.0 references PP0117 for integrated solutions on top of PP0084 for the baseline requirements of eUICC. The GSMA's support for integrated secure subsystems that implement SIM/UICC capabilities facilitates a higher level of functional integration of handsets and IoT devices into the SoC.Major PP0117 use casesThe most notable use case of PP0117 is integration of SIM card functionality into SoC devices. The trend of SIM integration takes place in two major verticals – IoT connected devices and mobile phones.1) Integrated SIMIn mobile phones, the main SoC device integrates as many logical functions as possible. This approach enables a reduction in power consumption, offers better pricing, minimizes board space, and introduces new functionalities. Given that SIM cards essentially function as simple microcontrollers with non-volatile storage for code and data, their integration into larger SoC devices appears inevitable. In connected IoT controllers, most, if not all, of the system's functionality, including RF, baseband, and application processors, is integrated into a single device. Implementing an integrated SIM within such a device optimizes the overall cost structure, a benefit that typically extends to the end customer.2) Integrated Secure ElementAnother use case is the integration of secure elements into the mobile phone's SoC. These secure elements manage critical secure functions such as mobile payments, electronic ID integration, biometric user authentication, and operating system security. Almost all modern smartphones feature at least one secure element. The exception is in China, where a secure element isn't mandatory for mobile payments. Mid to high-range mobile phones incorporate two secure elements, one for embedded SIM (eSIM) functionality and another for mobile payment and related features. Embedding these elements into the SoC can notably impact the bill of materials (BOM) cost of the mobile phone, at times representing a significant portion of the total BOM.3) AutomotiveThe hardware security module (HSM) used in automotive subsystems is another example of PP0117-based secure subsystem applications. Such HSMs are used for protecting resources such as V2X networks, driver sensitive information, and vendor assets.In the PC and server ecosystem, security modules integrated into the main SoC devices are used to protect against cyberattack, e.g. boot protection and secure software update.Another emerging use case is supply chain protection, where the secure subsystem can be used to authenticate the hardware during all stages of the system life cycle.In all these use cases, incorporating the secure logic directly into the main SoC is a practical decision from a production cost perspective, since in comparison with the other SoC logic, the secure subsystem requires only a minimal amount of logic and physical space for implementation.Main methodology and evaluation conceptThe Protection Profile and all gathered information were compiled into a single working document, which was then provided to the auditor for conversion into the Common Criteria definition methodology.Several constraints were defined:A. P0117-based designs should have strict conformance to the Security IC Platform Protection Profile (PP-0084). The constraint was essential for the developers to ensure that if they need to certify their products for PP0084 due to the upper layers (software and applets) requiring a composite evaluation to PP0084, they would not need to manage two separate evaluation processes.B. The Protection Profile must comply with EUCC methodology so it can be accepted by the new scheme in Europe.C. The Protection Profile must be aligned with external entities which use\reference PP0084 or plan to use the new Protection Profile in a composite evaluation with their layers\components.D. The Protection Profile should be defined in an Agile way of base requirements and optional packages that the developers can use based on their development.E. The Protection Profile should be general so that it can be used for wide security subsystem solutions in addition to the Secure Element, such as eUICC, iSIM, HSM, TPM, V2X.F. The Protection Profile should support 3 forms of deliveries – IC, hard macro, and programmable macro (PL Macro) to align with industry standards and enable the reuse of the evaluation results across multiple SoCs.G. The Protection Profile should support the different architectures of memory – embedded memory (as in the traditional Secure Element), external off-the-shelf memory, "External Passive Memory", and "Secure Memory" which is a certified component that will be part of the evaluation by the composition evaluation method.Usage of external memoriesAs modern SoC devices are fabricated in cutting-edge technologies, on-chip memories are either costly to implement in terms of silicon area requirements, as in the case of RAM, or outright unfeasible to implement, as in the case of non-volatile memory such as Flash. These limitations dictate the use of external memories with the secure subsystem. To facilitate usage of external memories, PP0117 was structured in an Agile way with a base package. This includes the minimum requirements that any Secure Sub-System within a SoC must satisfy, along with a range of optional packages designed to meet additional industry requirements that have emerged due to the Secure Sub-System in SoC architecture:• External Memory packages (Passive and Secure, volatile and non-volatile memory) – the security requirements related to the data and code stored in the external memory.The external memory package specifies the following requirements:• Protection from content abuse (unauthorized reading erasing or modifying of memory content)• Protection from cloning or replacing of the memory chip between systems• Protection from unauthorized content roll-back• Protection from interfering communication on the external bus, e.g., command replay or modification, eavesdropping, and man-in-the-middle.Passive external memoryIn the case of the passive (i.e. standard, non-secure) external memory, the requirements mandate that the SoC manages all the protection, as the memory device itself has no security functions, and cannot perform or assist in any of the tasks required.Protection from content abuse requires data stored in the external memory to be encrypted. To avoid weakening a fixed encryption key, it is recommended to utilize distinct keys for repeatedly encrypting user-controlled data. Generating multiple encryption keys from a single root key necessitates that the SoC maintains certain state information such as a monotonic, non-volatile counter.Protection from command replay in the case of passive memory is identical to protection from device unauthorized roll-back. In both cases, the adversary forces known and previously authentic information or state into the memory device.The responsibility lies with the SoC to monitor the freshness of the information stored in the external memory for the purpose of detecting modifications originating from command replay (such as writes and erases) or rolling-back the memory content to an earlier legitimate image. To facilitate this, the SoC must maintain state information pertaining to the stored data. This can be achieved using monotonic counter(s). Whenever data is stored externally, it is encapsulated and authenticated in a manner that allows the SoC to verify its version and ensure it has not been rolled- back to an older version.Protection from device cloning requires each SoC to use different keys for encryption and authentication of the data stored externally. This prevents cloning of the content from one memory device into another system, as the information will not be authenticated with a different key.Implementing a monotonic counter in the SoC requires the SoC to have an internal non-volatile storage. As mentioned above, standard non-volatile technologies such as Flash are not available in advanced process nodes, forcing the use of One-Time-Programmable (OTP) fuse-based memory arrays for monotonic counters. Even for a process where OTP is a reputable and robust technology, it has some major limitations and drawbacks:• Cost – OTP fuses require significant die area and usually do not scale well with node technology• Ease of operation – writing an OTP bit requires significant energy release within the die• Security – to withstand some fault-injection attacks on OTP-based monotonic counter implementations, more than one OTP bit is needed per count. In many cases, at least 4 bits per count will be required to maintain reasonable securityIn a typical SoC, under the above security requirements of PP0117 for passive memory, the amount of OTP needed during the life cycle of a SoC device can have a dramatic impact on the cost of the SoC. SoCs that have implemented an OTP-based monotonic counter were required to implement hundreds of thousands of OTP bits, and in some cases, over 1M of OTP bits. This is especially true for IoT devices, where data storage in external memory is common and power cycling occurs frequently. Moreover, these IoT devices are anticipated to have an extensive life cycle, often exceeding 10 years.Secure external memoryThe above requirements apply to secure external memory. However, due to the nature of the secure memory, these requirements are addressed by the memory device itself:• The memory device itself prevents unauthorized access. The commands are signed, and therefore, access and modification of the content require knowledge of a secret key or keys.• Cloning is not possible since the content cannot be accessed by unauthorized entities. Replacement is not possible since the SoC and the original secure memory are bound by a shared secret key, whereas any replacement memory will not have this secret key.• Roll-back of information cannot be accomplished since the secure memory protects the interface by its internal monotonic counter.• Command replay is not possible since the monotonic counter in the flash device ensures that commands are indexed and cannot be repeated.In addition to these protection features, the secure external memory has to be protected from interface abuse – man-in-the-middle modifications and eavesdropping. To facilitate this, the communication bus between SoC and memory is encrypted and authenticated. Read, write, erase, and configuration change commands are encrypted and signed so that the SoC can authenticate and verify the freshness of data coming from the memory against modifications. The memory device can ensure that write, erase, and configuration change commands did indeed originate from the SoC and that they are not replayed by an adversary.Winbond's secure flash for PP0117 certified secure subsystemsWinbond's W75F family of EAL5+ certified secure flash devices is designed for the requirements of PP0117. The secure flash devices allow efficient usage of the flash storage by allowing:• Secure, encrypted and authenticated interface between SoC and Flash• Strong, 128-bit symmetric key• Non-volatile monotonic counter implemented in the flash to prevent replay and roll-back and maintain data and code freshness• Strong counter measures against side-channel, fault injection and anti-hammering• Stored data integrity protection• Execution in place (XIP) from the flash, minimizing needed RAM size and increasing security by eliminating need to clear text code image in RAM• Multiple writes per byte• Composite certification readyCompared to an OTP-based counter implementation in the SoC when using passive memory, the secure flash from Winbond has potentially unlimited cycles of data update. The monotonic counter in the Winbond secure flash is incremented only once every power cycle, compared to OTP-based designs, where in many cases, each write of a new data set to the flash requires an increment, consuming more OTP fuses.Developing a PP0117-compliant solution with Winbond's secure flash is significantly more straightforward. The evaluation process becomes faster and simpler, and users can anticipate a smoother path to certification since the design eliminates the need for complex passive memory sharing and protection techniques.For more information on how Winbond can support your security and compliance needs, visit Winbond's website or contact Winbond directly, or download the latest Hardware Security White Paper.
SK Hynix Inc. (or "the company", www.skHynix.com) announced today that it presented a new DRAM technology roadmap for the next 30 years and the direction for a sustainable innovation at the IEEE VLSI symposium 20251 held in Kyoto, Japan.1IEEE VLSI (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Very Large Scale Integration) symposium: One of the most prestigious academic events in the field of semiconductor circuit and process technology, presenting academic achievement in next-generation semiconductors, AI, memory chips, and packaging. The symposium is held in turn in the US and Japan annually.Cha Seon Yong, CTO (CTO) of SK Hynix, delivered on June 10th a plenary session on "Driving Innovation in DRAM Technology: Towards a Sustainable Future".In his speech, CTO Cha explained that it is increasingly difficult to improve performance and capacity with scaling through the current technology platform2. "In order to overcome such limitations, SK Hynix will apply the 4F² VG (Vertical Gate) platform and 3D DRAM technology to technologies of 10nm level or below with innovation in structure, material, and components," he said.2Tech Platform: A technological framework that can be applied to various generations of productsThe 4F²3 VG4 platform is a next-generation memory technology that minimizes the cell area of DRAM and enables high integration, high speed, and low power through a vertical gate structure.34F²: The area occupied by one cell, a unit to store data, is indicated as F2. F indicates the minimum feature size of a semiconductor. Therefore, 4F2 is an integration technology to put more cells in a chip in which one cell occupies an area of 2F by 2F.4VG (Vertical Gate): A structure in which a gate, which acts as a switch of a transistor, is vertically placed and surrounded by channels. Currently, it is a flat structure where a gate is laid horizontally on top of channels.Currently, 6F2 cells are common, but by applying 4F2 cell and wafer bonding technology that puts the circuit part below the cell area, cell efficiency and electrical characteristics can be improved.CTO Cha also introduced 3D DRAM as the main pillar for the future DRAM along with VG. CTO Cha said that although some in the industry warn of cost increase according to the number of layers stacked, it can be solved by constant technological innovation.Along with structural breakthroughs, the company will also strive to find a new growth engine by sophisticating technologies of critical materials and components of DRAM to lay the foundation for the next 30 years."Until around 2010, DRAM technology was expected to face limitations at 20nms, but with constant innovation, we have made it this far," said CTO Cha. "SK Hynix will continue to guide the future of long-term technological innovation to be a milestone for young engineers in the field of DRAM and maintain cooperation within the industry to bring the future of DRAM into reality."On the last day of the event, Joodong Park, vice president who leads the Next Gen DRAM TF, will present his findings from a recent research on how VG and wafer bonding technology affect the electrical characteristics of DRAM.
