Oberthur and ST-Ericsson showcasing technology in mobile security chain

NANTERRE, FRANCE: Oberthur Technologies, the world’s second largest provider of security and identification solutions and services based on smart card technologies, and ST-Ericsson, a world leader in development of wireless platforms and semiconductors, are working together to show how the Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) embedded in mobile platforms and the SIM card complement each other to bring value to OEMs, operators and end-users.

The TEE is a technology enabling secure execution of code and control of accesses to peripherals and memory within a mobile device. Embedded in ST-Ericsson mobile platforms, the TEE can securely interact with the modem and applications on the SIM card to provide device information to the network in a seamless way. This capability can be used to monitor and protect the integrity of the mobile device, and also to report data back to the network, the operator or even the OEM through the SIM card.

The combination of the TEE and the SIM card can be used for a range of purposes. This solution can help:

* Network operators trace the actual effects of subsidizing.
* OEMs recognize, identify and manage faulty devices remotely.
* End-users and law enforcers track and recover stolen devices, even if the device has been re-initialized or re-programmed with illegitimate software.

“An early adopter of the TEE technology, ST-Ericsson provides its customers with a fully integrated and customizable Trusted Environment that can be used for a wide range of applications, ranging from content protection to payment or device management spanning complete platforms,” said Bjorn Ekelund, VP of ecosystems and research at ST-Ericsson.

”Thanks to our unique ability to deliver fully integrated platforms, we can extend the security chain from the TEE via the modem all the way and beyond the carrier network, allowing carriers and OEMs to offer secure, value-added services.”

Oberthur Technologies and ST-Ericsson technologies demonstrate how mobile ecosystem stakeholders can readily benefit from the TEE interaction with the UICC and pave the way for standardization of applications.

“Combining a TEE and our great expertise in mobile security and Over the Air management, this SIM-based solution will bring value to both operators and service providers through risks mitigation when applications with valuable assets run next to malicious applications; this becomes a critical issue when using sensitive data such as payment or identification credentials”, said Marc Bertin, CTO of Oberthur Technologies. “I’m glad to announce that this first step opens the way to new services and value for operator and OEMs.”

Oberthur and ST-Ericsson will showcase their joint development at the upcoming Cartes 2011 in Villepinte, France on November 15-17. The demonstration will show how the TEE and the UICC can interact to monitor the handset and bring value to the stakeholders by sending an alert message to the operator, the OEM and the service provider if the software is damaged. All the actors of the ecosystem can then warn the subscribers of a problem on their devices or even deny access to sensitive services in order to prevent data theft and fraud.