Renesas and ESCRYPT collaborate on hardware/software

The new solution reduces development time and integrates security functions in safety-critical automotive ECU applications. Additionally, the solution serves as a stepping stone to achieve autonomous driving by accelerating the integration of safety and security functions.

In the autonomous-driving era, in-vehicle infotainment, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) networks are expected to become mainstream. The connectivity between these networks allows systems to obtain information on road conditions and other factors that could impact the driving experience. It also requires robust security measures to ensure the systems are protected from unauthorised external access.

The RH850/P1x-C Series integrates a hardware security module with a co-processor supporting data encryption, authentication and random number generation to address these mission-critical security requirements in vehicle systems.

CycurHSM is a security software stack that perfectly fits RH850/P1x-C MCUs and complements the security features in hardware with additional security services, e.g., secure boot, secure flashing, and debugging.

New use cases such as software updates Over The Air (OTA) or advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and the resulting in-vehicle communications require higher ECU protection levels against unauthorised or malicious access and manipulation. Therefore, in addition to protection software, hardware security protection within the ECU has also become essential.

The globally available combination of Renesas and ESCRYPT products enhances security of connected, highly-automated vehicles, provides high value, and solves these security problems.

Key features of the combined hardware/software platform solution:

1) Combined solution accelerates safety and security functions required for vehicles of the autonomous era with highly optimised HSM technology
The combined hardware/software solution comprises of Renesas’ 40 nanometer (nm) automotive RH850/P1x-C on-chip hardware security module (HSM), the ICU-M (Note 1), as well as ESCRYPT’s highly optimised software that ensures the highest level of ECU security.

The ICU-M provides security services based on private and public key cryptography that allow advanced cyber-security use case implementations. The ICU-M includes dedicated secure code/data flash, enhanced debug control methods by dynamic authentication, fast AES (Note 2) engine with multiple execution contexts and complex ciphering modes, pseudo random number generation seeded by true random number generator compliant with AIS-31 (Note 3), and many other security features.

CycurHSM is a scalable solution, ranging from SHE (Note 4) and SHE+ up to full HSM functionality (such as secure flashing, secure onboard communication, advanced mechanisms for secure boot, secure debugging, or feature activation). CycurHSM runs on the ICU-M and provides dedicated software interfaces to make use of the full power of HSM technology. ESCRYPT’s HSM security stack will be available for further Renesas MCUs in the near future.

2) Significantly reducing development and implementation time by up to ninety percent by simplifying implementation of security functions
ECU developers can rely on optimal-fit components from Renesas and ESCRYPT to simplify implementation of the desired security functions. For an existing AUTOSAR application, since the combined hardware/software solution is fully AUTOSAR-compliant, no further development of security functions is required and the remaining tasks boil down to a simple configuration of the software, thereby eliminating up to 90 percent of the development effort.

For new applications, AUTOSAR-compliant or not, the clean interface offered by the combined hardware/software enables system developers to concentrate on high-level software development, without having to worry about low-level or hardware-specific issues. This leads to a significant reduction of the overall effort by at least 50 percent in case of new applications.

3) Additional security services available to further optimise security functions that add value to highly autonomous vehicles
The security solution can be further enriched by additional security services such as risk analysis and efficient security concepts, as well as software products such as key management from ESCRYPT. The security solution can also be integrated into a full AUTOSAR stack, as e.g. provided by ESCRYPT’s parent company ETAS.

The jointly-developed platform solution is a turnkey, high-quality solution covering a wide field of hardware and software aspects – delivered by two automotive expert players. Security and performance levels mandated by new automotive use cases can be reached to avoid remote hacking and various security issues – by a complete hardware and software approach through the combined expertise of Renesas and ESCRYPT.

The globally available combination of Renesas and ESCRYPT products will enhance the security of connected, highly automated vehicles and provide added value to customers worldwide.
The jointly-developed integrated hardware and software platform solution is now available.