Trusted Computing

[awk]

Single secure CPU safeguards payment terminals

http://www.electronicstalk.com/news/trg/trg101.html

Security solution for embedded systems in payment terminal market targets applications on wireless devices

12 November 2007

Trusted Logic and Trango Virtual Processors have teamed up to provide a complete security solution for embedded systems. The companies will focus on the payment terminal market, with particular applications on wireless devices. Security solutions based on Trango's secure virtualisation solution, coupled with Trusted Logic's Security Module, will allow OEMs and device manufacturers to create highly competitive, scalable products of an outstanding level of security, which are also easy to certify.

In the payment terminal market, the growing adoption of rich operating systems such as Linux and Windows CE, coupled with the tough certification requirements of both the payment card industry PIN entry device (PCI-PED) specification and EMV specifications, has driven system manufacturers to use a dedicated security processor to ensure that critical security functions and hardware such as user interfaces (eg keypads, LCD screens) cannot be corrupted or compromised.

This method guarantees safe payment transactions, but at a high cost in both hardware and development resources.

Representing a breakthrough from the traditional dual-chip approach, the Trango Hypervisor enables integration, on a single secure CPU, of a rich OS running in parallel with certified applications, maintaining the same level of security and the same certification process as a dual-chip platform.

This architecture-independent joint solution relies on the Trango Hypervisor to provide multiple secure execution environments, each of which contains its own virtual processing unit capable of running an OS, applications and drivers.

Running on top of its own virtual processor, Trusted Logic Security Module offers a dedicated trusted execution environment interfacing with hardware security features such as cryptographic hardware and secure user interface, and where certified value-added applications, such as payment applications, can run safely, whether they be native or interpreted.

Ensuring the protection of both user interface and of the complete payment process, the joint solution enables the cost-effective implementation of the payment function not only on payment terminals, but also on mobile phones, so that end users can safely interact with their device.

'Given the payment industry's rigorous security and certification requirements, our partnership with Trusted Logic is of tremendous value for customers who can benefit from their proven security expertise and experience', says Pierre Coulombeau, Chief Operating Officer at Trango Virtual Processors.

'Trango Hypervisor enhances TL Security Module by enabling a number of isolated execution environments, thus offering the combined benefits of security and multicore chips on a lower cost, single core chip', adds Dominique Bolignano, CEO of Trusted Logic