Atmel First to Ship Ultra-Secure Crypto Element Enabling Smart, Connected and Secure Systems

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Atmel® Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML), a global leader in microcontroller (MCU) and touch solutions, today launched its next-generation CryptoAuthentication™ product. Atmel's ATECC508A is the first device to integrate ECDH (Elliptic Curve Diffie–Hellman) security protocol—an ultra-secure method to provide key agreement for encryption/decryption, along with ECDSA (Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm) sign-verify authentication—for the Internet of Things (IoT) market including home automation, industrial networking, accessory and consumable authentication, medical, mobile and more.  

Atmel's ATECC508A is the second integrated circuit (IC) in the CryptoAuthentication portfolio with advanced Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) capabilities.  With ECDH and ECDSA built in, this device is ideal for the rapidly growing IoT market by easily providing confidentiality, data integrity and authentication in systems with MCU or MPUs running encryption/ decryption algorithms (such as AES) in software.  Similar to all Atmel CryptoAuthentication products, the new ATECC508A employs ultra-secure hardware-based cryptographic key storage and cryptographic countermeasures which are more secure than software-based key storage.

This next-generation CryptoAuthentication device is compatible with any microcontroller or microprocessor on the market today including Atmel | SMART and Atmel AVR® MCUs and MPUs. As with all CryptoAuthentication devices, the ATECC508A delivers extremely low-power consumption, requires only a single general purpose I/O over a wide voltage range, and available in a tiny form factor, making it ideal for a variety of applications that require longer battery life and flexible form factors.

"As a leader in security, Atmel is committed to delivering innovative secure solutions to the billions of devices to be connected in the IoT market," said Rob Valiton, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Automotive, Aerospace and Memory Business Units, Atmel Corporation. "Atmel's newest CryptoAuthentication IC is the first of its kind to apply hardware-based key storage to provide the full complement of security capabilities, specifically confidentiality, data integrity and authentication.  We are excited to continue bringing ultra-secure crypto element solutions to a wide range of applications including IoT, wireless, consumer, medical, industrial, and automotive, among others."

Key security features of the ATECC508A include:

• Optimized key storage and authentication  
• ECDH operation using stored private key
• ECDSA (elliptic-curve digital signature algorithm) Sign-Verify
• Support for X.509 certificate formats
• 256-bit SHA/HMAC hardware engine
• Multilevel RNG  using FIPS SP 800-90A DRBG
• Guaranteed 72-bit unique ID
• I²C and single-wire interfaces
• 2 to 5.5V operation, 150-nA standby current
• 10.5-kbit EEPROM for secret and private keys
• High Endurance Monotonic Counters
• UDFN, SOIC, and 3-lead contact packages

More Information

• Full CryptoAuthentication Portfolio: http://www.atmel.com/products/security-ics/cryptoauthentication/default.aspx
• ECC Devices: http://www.atmel.com/products/security-ics/cryptoauthentication/ecc-256.aspx
• Security at our Core: www.atmel.com/security  

About Atmel

Atmel Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML) is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of microcontrollers, capacitive touch solutions, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and radio frequency (RF) components. Leveraging one of the industry's broadest intellectual property (IP) technology portfolios, Atmel is able to provide the electronics industry with intelligent and connected solutions focused on the industrial, consumer, communications, computing and automotive markets.

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