Renesas RX MCU Becomes World’s First General-Purpose MCU to Obtain CMVP Level 3 Certification Under NIST FIPS 140-2 Security Standard

By Using Certified RX MCUs, Customers Can Easily Develop Devices Meeting Security Requirements.

RX MCU Obtains CMVP Level 3 Certification Under NIST FIPS 140-2 Security Standard

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced that its 32-bit RX65N microcontroller (MCU) has achieved Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) (Note 1) Level 3 certification under the FIPS 140-2 security standard by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The RX65N is the world’s first general-purpose MCU to obtain level 3 certification (Note 2).

The FIPS 140 standard is an essential security requirement for applications used by government agencies, financial institutions, public facilities, and infrastructure, and it is becoming a de facto standard for security worldwide. Level 3 is a high security level with tamper detection/response and identity-based authentication mechanisms for devices used to handle financial information such as hardware security modules (HSMs) and smart cards. Using the certified RX65N MCU will make it easier for customers to develop devices with robust and trustworthy security functions, which will contribute to a reduction in the development workload and reduced overall security risks.

“As more IoT devices gain network connectivity, the danger of malicious threats such as data leaks, data tampering, and spoofing grows, making security more important than ever,” said Sakae Ito, Vice President of IoT Platform Business Division at Renesas. “The CMVP Level 3 certification of an RX MCU means that customers can build robust security into their products without the need for a dedicated security chip, and I am delighted that this will help speed up the development of secure IoT devices.”

The 32-bit RX65N from Renesas is a general-purpose MCU with security, connectivity, and human-machine interface (HMI) functions suited for use in applications such as industrial and IoT devices. The RX65N incorporates the Trusted Secure IP (TSIP) module, which was already CAVP certified (Note 3). The TSIP, which comprises an encryption engine with AES, SHA, RSA, and ECC support, a true random number generator (TRNG), and an encrypted key management mechanism, implements robust security functions. The RX65N features dual-bank flash memory that supports background operation and SWAP function to enable secure and highly reliable firmware updates in system control or network devices and to prevent program tampering.

Since the RX65N is CMVP Level 3 certified, the other RX Family MCUs with the same TSIP, the RX651, RX66N, RX72N, and RX72M can implement the security functionality equivalent.

Renesas also offers a "Secure Cloud & Sensor Solution" that combines the RX65N with Renesas sensors to allow users to upload sensor data to cloud services securely and easily. This is one of over 200 “Winning Combinations" that combine Renesas’ expertise in analog, power, and embedded computing to help customers get to market faster.

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