Security for Embedded Systems: Swissbit Presents the Security Upgrade Kit

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Cyberattacks are increasingly affecting embedded systems, whose design and long lifecycles entail special security requirements. Regulatory authorities worldwide are responding to this growing threat with regulations such as the upcoming Radio Equipment Initiative (RED) or the Cyber Resilience Act of 2027. With the Security Upgrade Kit, Swissbit offers a user-friendly and secure solution that protects embedded systems and complies with relevant cybersecurity regulations. The kit includes an industrial-grade microSD card as well as appropriate documentation, software, and tools. It offers hardware-based access control, real-time data encryption with AES 256, and customizable protection profiles. Areas of application include the copy protection of sensitive data and the protection of system integrity through Secure Boot. As a retrofit solution on a microSD basis, the Security Upgrade Kit offers maximum flexibility.

Embedded systems have specific security vulnerabilities due to their long service life, difficult updating options and limited hardware capacities. In most cases, they are usually designed without special protection requirements and are susceptible to attacks with physical access, which can usually prevented only with a housing or control cabinet. Once these measures have been overcome, attackers can spy out sensitive information, configurations, business secrets, and personal data. By manipulating system data, one-off access can also lead to undetected intrusion and the permanent interception of network communications. This is precisely where the Security Upgrade Kit from Swissbit comes in.

At the heart of the Swissbit solution is an industrial-grade microSD card, which is ideal for retrofitting as a removable medium. Equipped with a special flash controller and advanced Swissbit firmware, the card offers security functions such as configurable access controls and data protection at the partition level. The optimized firmware also makes the card ideal for applications with frequent read access and long data retention.

The Security Upgrade Kit is primarily developed for Linux-based embedded systems but can also be used for other operating systems if required. Thanks to the widespread use of embedded systems, application areas range from industrial environments and the public sector to critical infrastructures.

Swissbit provides documentation, software, tools, and a reference implementation for the Raspberry Pi for setting up and configuring the Security Upgrade Kit. Swissbit’s team of experts is also available for customer-specific project inquiries and customized implementations.

Industrial-grade microSD available in three storage capacities

The Security Level 2 microSD card in the Security Upgrade Kit is available with storage capacities of 16, 32 and 64 GB and is based on pSLC flash memory technology, which ensures particularly high endurance and durability. The cards are designed for the industrial temperature range of -40 to +85 °C (-40 to +185 °F).