Samsung Introduces Best-in-Class Data Security Chip Solution for Mobile Devices

Samsung’s new Secure Element solution features secure key storage with CC EAL 5+ certification and dedicated security software for enhanced data protection

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today introduced a Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level (CC EAL) 5+ certified Secure Element (SE) turnkey solution for mobile devices. The new SE offers a strong security solution, consisting of a security chip (S3K250AF) and optimized software, that fully guards private data on an isolated data storage.

“Strong security measures have become a crucial feature in today’s smart devices as they evolve into essential tools that hold the key to our personal data connected to various services such as the cloud and financial transactions,” said Dongho Shin, senior vice president of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung has a long and proven history in security solutions such as smart card ICs, IoT processors and other semiconductor products that require robust security. Our new turnkey SE solution for mobile devices will not only keep user data safer on the go but also enable new mobile applications that will broaden and enrich our everyday lives.”

From checking emails and making online payments to replacing house keys and airplane tickets, smart devices continue to offer more applications that enforce stronger security requirements. Samsung’s new turnkey solution is a dedicated tamper-resistant strongbox that securely stores users’ confidential and cryptographic data such as pin numbers, passwords and even crypto-currency credentials separate from the typical mobile memory such as embedded Universal Flash Storage (eUFS).

The S3K250AF-based SE combines a microcontroller, advanced hardware-level protection and an optimized secure OS. With a CC EAL 5+ certified-hardware, the highest level received by a mobile component, and dedicated protection software, the solution ensures top-notch security assurance on mobile devices. While current smartphones or tablets already have strong security in place to fend off possible tampering, the security-dedicated chip adds extra countermeasures to defend against possible attacks such as reverse engineering, power glitches and laser attacks, making it extremely harder for others to access or copy stored confidential data. In addition, the SE solution manages failed attempts and prevents replay attacks by accepting only the latest authentication request as a valid one.

Samsung’s new SE solution is currently in mass production and is featured in Samsung’s recently-announced Galaxy S20 series smartphones.