The RX65N is the world’s first general-purpose MCU to obtain level 3 certification.
The FIPS 140 standard is a security requirement for applications used by government agencies, financial institutions, public facilities, and infrastructure, and it is fast becoming a de facto standard for security worldwide.
Level 3 is a high security level with tamper detection/response and identity-based authentication mechanisms for devices used to handle financial information such as hardware security modules (HSMs) and smart cards. Using a certified RX65N MCU it will be easier for customers to develop devices with robust and trusted security functions, and will help to reduce development workload and the overall security risks.
“As more IoT devices gain network connectivity, the danger of malicious threats such as data leaks, data tampering, and spoofing grows, making security more important than ever,” said Sakae Ito, VP of IoT Platform Business Division at Renesas. “The CMVP Level 3 certification of an RX MCU means that customers can build robust security into their products without the need for a dedicated security chip, and I am delighted that this will help speed up the development of secure IoT devices.”
The 32-bit RX65N from Renesas is a general-purpose MCU with security, connectivity, and human-machine interface (HMI) functions and is intended for use in applications such as industrial and IoT devices.
The MCU incorporates the Trusted Secure IP (TSIP) module, which was already CAVP certified. The TSIP, which comprises an encryption engine with AES, SHA, RSA, and ECC support, a true random number generator (TRNG), and an encrypted key management mechanism, implements robust security functions. The RX65N features dual-bank flash memory that supports background operation and SWAP function to enable secure and highly reliable firmware updates in system control or network devices and to prevent program tampering.
Since the RX65N is CMVP Level 3 certified, the other RX Family MCUs with the same TSIP, can implement the security functionality equivalent.
