Spansion Inc., pure-play provider of Flash memory solutions, announced the availability of the first Flash memory subsystem that provides security protection from viruses, attacks and service thefts on handsets. Addressing the wireless requirements for more robust security, these MirrorBit solutions protected by Spansion Secure technology provide the level of commercially available protection with hardware-based encryption for mobile handsets. Spansion Secure technology for handsets is part of the company’s secure Flash strategy, designed to embed a range of encryption, authentication and other security features inside Spansion Flash memory solutions, enabling protection of valuable consumer data, content and code.
Edo Ganot, executive vice president of business development at Discretix, said, "Device theft and fraud are growing issues that require improved solutions to protect important personal and financial information now stored on the mobile device. Spansion Secure Flash solutions are a crucial component of robust security architecture, greatly increasing the integrity of the handset and enabling consumers to use their handsets with the confidence that their important financial, corporate and personal data is secure."
George Minassian, vice president of strategic planning and systems engineering, wireless solutions division, Spansion, stated, “With handsets becoming personal media libraries, portable offices and digital wallets, the Spansion Secure approach will provide protected data storage and give users the confidence that their handsets are safe for important transactions. Spansion is delivering on its goal of adding more value through Flash memory solutions for our handset OEM customers and enabling enhanced revenue opportunities for operators and the banking community, by providing the industry’s strongest mobile security with protection hardware-based encryption in handsets.”
It is said that the MirrorBit MCP with Spansion Secure acts as a trusted execution environment enabling domain separation and ensuring that critical data, code and security keys are never exposed. This is made possible with some of the security algorithms, including the advanced encryption standard (AES), a block cipher adopted as an encryption standard by the US government; the secure hash algorithms (SHA), cryptographic hash functions designed by the National Security Agency, including SHA-1 and SHA-2; RSA, an algorithm for public-key encryption; and a digital random number generator.
Tim Raby, managing director of open mobile terminal platform (OMTP), explained, "By embracing many of the OMTP's current Trusted Environment requirements, Spansion Secure will be providing much of the enhanced security that network operators around the world are asking for. By making security an integral part of open mobile phone experience, Spansion is enabling handset manufacturers and network operators to create greater confidence in and wider adoption of data services.”
Spansion’s MirrorBit technology delivers value-added code and data storage solutions for customers across the integrated electronics category. When compared with floating-gate NOR technology, MirrorBit technology offers a simpler memory cell, which requires fewer critical manufacturing steps to produce. Compared to traditional floating gate, MirrorBit technology offers yields and scales more easily to higher densities.
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