STMicroelectronics unveils first single chip encryption engine

The company claims the HardCache-SL3/PC is the first of its kind to include a cryptographic module certified to the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) FIPS 140-2 Level 3 standard – one of the most rigorous security standards anywhere in the world for non military applications. "HardCache-SL3/PC sets a new reference level for the industry by providing a solution certified by NIST for its highest non military level of security, that is accessible to a broader audience, thanks to its affordable cost," said Francesco Brianti, vice president, Open Market Business Unit. "ST has a long history of providing best in class security solutions to our customers, illustrated by our strong positions in the supply of trusted platform modules, smart cards and secure features in set top box systems. We are now able to bring this depth of expertise to the secure computer market with the world's first FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified encryption chip." According to ST, until now, the cost of complying with Level 3 was so high that very few computer and data storage manufacturers could afford it. As a result, most 'secure computers' employed software solutions that could not go beyond Level 2 but also slowed the performance of the computer. ST says the HardCache-SL3/PC eliminates these problems because the hard wired encryption engine embedded within the chip performs all of the encryption and decryption algorithms that are needed each time the system retrieves data stored from the memory to the central processor with no impact to performance. The HardCache-SL3/PC is fully supported by software drivers and a development kit.