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SOLUTION 07

Secure Identity

Secure identity silicon anchors a device's identity in hardware rather than asserting it in software. Smart card is the most visible application, but the same platform serves secure microcontrollers, industrial controllers, IoT provisioning and trusted hardware for edge infrastructure. Described here at property level; mechanism is discussed under NDA.

Root of trustSmart card SoCSecure bootProvisioningAnti-cloning
What each layer inherits from the one beneath
Silicon anchorIdentity derived from the physical die, not storedImmutable first stageMask-programmed, cannot be replaced after manufactureVerified bootEach stage checks the signature of the next before executingCryptographic subsystemPrimitives, entropy and key handling within the power budgetProvisioningCredentials issued in an auditable factory flowApplicationInherits exactly the assurance of everything below itA verified chain proves the code is what was signed — not that the code is correct.
PROPERTIES

What the silicon provides.

APPLICATIONS

Beyond the card.

Secure identity applications
ApplicationWhat identity is doingTypical constraint
Payment and banking credentialsBinding a credential to specific hardwareCertification regime and transaction time
Government identity and ePassport-classHigh-assurance personalisation and verificationEvaluation and assurance requirements
Enterprise accessCredentials that cannot be trivially duplicatedCost per credential at scale
Healthcare identityPractitioner and patient credentials with audit needsRetention and privacy regime
Transit and mobilityHigh-throughput contactless transactionsTransaction time in a contactless field
IoT device identityOnboarding and provisioning at fleet scaleFactory flow and cost per unit
Secure MCUs and industrial controllersProtecting firmware integrity over long lifetimesService life of a decade or more
Trusted hardware for edge infrastructureAttesting what a node is before trusting it with workIntegration with existing attestation frameworks
DISCLOSURE POSTURE

How security is described publicly.

Claims are made at property level: what the hardware provides, what it resists, and how it integrates. Mechanism, circuit architecture and implementation detail are not published, and no useful buyer decision depends on them being published.

Language is chosen with the same care. Tamper-evident is described as tamper-evident, and not escalated to the stronger word. No system is described as impossible to attack. Where a claim depends on an assumption or a configuration, the assumption is stated.

Detailed technical discussion happens under a non-disclosure agreement, where the mechanism, the threat model and the evaluation evidence are all available.

WHERE THIS APPLIES

Industries this serves.

COMMON QUESTIONS

What engineers ask before they call.

01

What is a silicon root of trust?

A root of trust is the component a system's security ultimately depends on, and which cannot be verified by anything beneath it. Placing it in silicon means device identity and boot integrity derive from the physical part rather than from replaceable software.

02

Is this only for smart cards?

No. Smart card SoC is the most visible application. The same platform serves secure microcontrollers, industrial controllers, IoT device identity and provisioning, transit and access credentials, and trusted hardware for edge infrastructure.

03

Why does the public site not describe the mechanism?

Because mechanism, circuit architecture and implementation detail belong under a non-disclosure agreement, and a buyer's decision to open a conversation does not depend on them. Public material covers properties, capabilities, integration and assurance.

04

What node is secure identity silicon built on?

Typically mature nodes between 180 nm and 90 nm, because embedded non-volatile memory options, analog performance and long supply horizons matter more for these parts than density does.

KEEP READING

Related work.

BUILD WITH FASTSTREAM

Bring us the difficult part.

Tell us the specification, the constraint and the deadline. Programmes that cross silicon, radio, embedded and AI are where Faststream is strongest.