Infineon — OPTIGA TPM SLB 9672 and SLB 9673 Security Modules

Advanced technology from Infineon provides OEMs with a solution for protecting connected devices from the security threats of tomorrow as well as today. The OPTIGA™ trusted platform module (TPM) SLB 9672 FW16 is a future-proof security solution which includes a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) protected firmware update mechanism optimized for IoT networks and embedded control devices.  

The SLB 9672 FW16, which has a serial peripheral interface, is intended for use in smart building systems, network infrastructure, and industrial automation. A member of the same family of TPMs, the SLB 9673, which has an I2C interface, fits a wider set of applications: health and lifestyle devices, renewable energy and smart mobility, as well as smart building systems, network infrastructure, and industrial automation.  

The SLB 967x TPMs use eXtended Merkle Signature Scheme (XMSS) signatures, a mechanism which counteracts the threat of firmware corruption by attackers who have access to quantum computers, and increases the chances of the long-term survival of the device by enabling a quantum computing-resistant firmware upgrade path.  

The OPTIGA TPMs provide a unique ID. This is required to monitor IoT devices on connected networks for application security and ease of maintenance. The unique ID cannot be erased. 

The OPTIGA TPM SLB 9672 and SLB 9673 also offer a firmware update mechanism which has a 256-bit key length, along with an additional check based on PQC. With this strong and trusted update mechanism, the TPM can be updated even if the standard algorithms are no longer trusted. The design allows for improvements in computing performance, providing fail-safe features which counteract the effects of corrupted firmware. For instance, the TPM firmware can be recovered in accordance with the NIST SP 800-193 platform firmware resilience guidelines. 

This TPM also provides a large non-volatile memory to store features such as additional certificates and cryptographic keys. Security evaluation and certification are performed by independent bodies according to the Common Criteria and FIPS requirements. The new TPMs also fully comply with the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) requirements specified in the TPM 2.0 standard version 1.59, and are certified according to the latest TPM 2.0 standard. 

The module is also available in another version: the OPTIGA TPM SLB 9672 FW15 is the preferred choice for Microsoft Windows environments and ecosystems, and connected devices which have a PC architecture.