Infineon and the BSI pave the way for a quantum-resilient future
Infineon has achieved a milestone on the way to a quantum-resilient world in collaboration with the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). Infineon is the first company ever to receive the Common Criteria EAL6, an industry-leading certification level, for the implementation of a post-quantum cryptography algorithm in a security controller. Such cryptography enhances security for eSIM, 5G SIM and smart card applications, including personal IDs, payment cards and eHealth cards, against threats resulting from highly capable quantum computers. The world’s first certification is a milestone on the way to a quantum-safe future in our daily lives.
Within the next ten to twenty years, quantum computers are expected to become powerful enough to break current cryptographic algorithms, compromising the security of our digital lives. Documents like eIDs that currently being issued and are valid for many years need to be resistant against future attacks by quantum computers. The same is true of encrypted messages and emails that are sent now, because when stored these can be attacked by quantum computers later. Post-quantum cryptography algorithms such as Module-Lattice-Based Key Encapsulation Mechanisms (ML-KEM) are designed to resist these attacks, fortifying the integrity of our digital infrastructure. A secured implementation of these algorithms is crucial to withstanding classical security attacks.
The international Common Criteria standard sets guidelines and criteria for the security of IT products and systems and is internationally recognized. By certifying Infineon’s secured implementation of a PQC algorithm with Common Criteria EAL 6, the BSI underlines the importance of resistance against classic attacks, like fault attacks, as well as quantum computer attacks. The ML-KEM algorithm was implemented on a TEGRION security controller, Infineon’s latest brand of 28 nm security controllers based on Infineon’s revolutionary security architecture Integrity Guard 32. The Common Criteria scheme was developed in collaboration among various governments and is recognized by governments around the globe. The certification itself takes place through various national institutions. Infineon’s TEGRION security controller has been evaluated and certified by the German BSI under the German Certification scheme.
EAL6 is a highly advanced level of assurance, indicating that the product or system has undergone a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation to confirm its security claims. The certified security controller combines high-performance processing with advanced cryptographic capabilities, providing a robust foundation for post-quantum cryptography.
