Atmel has become the world’s first supplier to be awarded full FIPS 140-2 certification for its AT97SC3204 series of trusted platform modules (TPM). According to Todd Slack, Atmel’s Product Line Manager of Trusted Platform Solutions, the AT97SC3204 lineup now offers customers the highest level of confidence in hardware security for a wide range of computing devices, including smartphones, tablets and phablets.
FIPS140-2 certification was developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the US government agency that works with industries to develop and apply technology, measurements and standards, to ensure that best security practices are implemented in security modules. To achieve this certification, vendors are required to pass a stringent testing process performed by independent accredited Cryptographic and Security Testing (CST) laboratories with NIST serving as the final validation authority, validating test results and issuing certificates.
“In this era of cloud computing and increased connectivity in the Internet of Things (IoT), devices are smarter and more connected. Security is a primary concern among every company within the computing supply chain as well as consumers,” Slack explained. “With Atmel’s FIPs-certified AT97SC3204 trusted platform modules, designers can be confident that these flexible, easy-to-use modules offer the most secure hardware features for their embedded designs.”
According to Slack, modules are available in FIPS/flexible-mode which reduce supply chain complexity by supporting both standard and FIPS-mode platforms with the same device and part number. Modules with FIPS/flexible mode permanently set and lock the device into either standard or FIPS-140-2 certified mode during the platform/device initialization.
Alternatively, Atmel is also offering pre-configured FIPs or standard-mode devices which simplify the initialization process. Atmel’s AT97SC3204 trusted modules are currently available in mass production, with pricing starting at $2.75 for 10,000 piece quantities.
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