Secure Element

意味

What is a secure element?

A secure element, also known as a hardware root of trust, is a dedicated hardware component that is designed to protect assets (e.g. cryptographic keys) from unauthorized access. It is typically a tamper-resistant and physically secure area, often a chip, that is isolated from the device's main processor.

A secure element is a fundamental component to enforce the identity of devices and ensure the integrity of network transactions and communications between machines.

What are the benefits of a secure element?

Secure elements provide a dedicated, tamper-resistant enclave within a device. They enhance the cybersecurity of embedded systems by strongly isolating the security function from the main application, safeguarding sensitive data and functionfrom exploitable software vulnerabilities. Their tamper resistant nature withstands physical attacks that attempt to access vital secrets. They also allow secure asset management flows during manufacturing processes, where cryptographic keys and other protective measures can be securely pre-loaded into the element.

What are some applications of secure elements?

• Authentication. Secure elements enhance the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive information, ensuring the secure verification of identities in applications and systems.
• Digital Signature. Secure elements store certificates and private keys in isolated, tamper-resistant hardware, ensuring the integrity and security of the signing process in electronic documents by ensuring private keys are never disclosed.
• Access Control. Secure elements can be used in access cards and key fobs to enhance the security of physical and digital access control systems.
• Secure Boot. Secure elements establish a trusted foundation for device initialization during secure boot processes, ensuring that only genuine and unaltered code is executed during system startup.
• Contactless payments. Secure elements are used to protect sensitive financial information during contactless transactions using credit cards or mobile payments.

What is the difference between a secure element and trusted platform module?

Both secure elements and trusted platform modules (TPMs) enhance security in computing devices by providing cryptographic functions such as encryption and authentication. The distinction lies in their primary functions and implementations.

• Secure elements are primarily used for securing specific applications or sensitive data within an embedded device in IoT systems, smartphones, or smart cards which is typically resource constrained. Secure elements provide isolated cryptographic functions and focus on securing communication within the dedicated application. Compared to TPM devices, secure elements are typically more power efficient, easier to integrate, and require smaller footprint.
• TPMs are specialized secure elements implementing a standard feature set defined by the Trusted Computing Group. They offer a broader range of security functions for complex computing platforms. TPMs are often integrated into the motherboard of a computer and contribute to trusted machine-to-machine interactions with secure credential storage, access control, attestation.