NXP sol'n secures access to consumer cloud services

NXP Semiconductors N.V. has revealed a strategic deployment of FIDO U2F secure element ICs to allow access to consumer cloud services. In fact, Google has announced support for FIDO U2F security keys for secure sign-in.

Amidst growing consensus that password-based security needs to be improved, the FIDO U2F ecosystem, consisting of web browsers, applications, hardware authentication devices and authentication servers, offers online users easy, private and secure login to cloud services such as email, shopping, financial and social sites from both their desktop and mobile devices. NXP's secure element solution has been a cornerstone technology significantly contributing to the security advantages in the U2F standard.

FIDO U2F security key manufacturers can benefit from NXP's U2F secure element solution using the A7 secure microcontroller series that are EAL 5+ certified, physically tamper and side channel attack resistant. The NXP solution is made available with trust provisioning keys cryptographically signed by NXP and accepted by any FIDO U2F authentication servers.

"Secure element ICs revolutionised security for banking cards, ePassports and mobile payment," stated Sami Nassar, VP and GM of cyber security solutions at NXP. "Today, through the FIDO U2F authentication protocol, secure element ICs bring a new level of security to user authentication for enterprise networks and consumer cloud services."

NXP's range of secure elements enables a variety of U2F authenticator form factors, ranging from a USB key, to NFC keys, BLE key fobs, wearables and cell phones. NXP's security technology has seen extensive global deployment with billions of units shipped to support mobile payment, bank cards, access and ePassports.