Cyber attacks are also increasingly targeting embedded systems. Their design and long lifecycles require special security standards. Regulatory authorities worldwide are responding to this with regulations such as the upcoming Radio Equipment Initiative (RED) or the Cyber Resilience Act from 2027.
The Swiss company Swissbit has developed a security upgrade kit for retrofitting that enables the protection of embedded systems and compliance with relevant security requirements. The kit includes an industrial-grade microSD card as well as suitable documentation, software and tools. It includes hardware-based access control, real-time data encryption with AES 256 and allows customization of protection profiles. Areas of application include the copy protection of sensitive data or the protection of system integrity through secure boot.
Embedded systems have specific security vulnerabilities due to their long service life, complicated update options and limited hardware capacities. For example, they are susceptible to attacks involving physical access, which can usually only be prevented by a housing or control cabinet. Once these hurdles have been overcome, local attackers are able to spy out sensitive information, configurations, business secrets or personal data. By manipulating system data, one-off access can also lead to undetected intrusion (APT - Advanced Persistent Threat) and the permanent interception of network communication. This is precisely what the Security Upgrade Kit is designed to prevent.
Configurable access controls
The central component of the kit is an industrial-grade microSD card, which is suitable as a removable medium for retrofitting. Equipped with a special flash controller and enhanced firmware, the card offers configurable access controls and data protection at partition level. The optimized firmware makes the card suitable for applications with frequent read access and long data retention times.
The upgrade kit is primarily designed for Linux-based embedded systems, but can also be used for other operating systems. For setup and configuration, Swissbit provides documentation, software, tools and a reference implementation for the Raspberry Pi. The company's employees also answer customer-specific project inquiries and provide support for customized implementations.
The Security Level 2 microSD card is available with storage capacities of 16, 32 and 64 GB and is based on pSLC flash memory technology, which ensures high endurance and longevity. The cards are designed for the industrial temperature range of -40 to +85 °C. The Security Upgrade Kit is available from Allnet, Mouser and Rutronik 24. Further sales channels are to follow.
Swissbit will be presenting its products at the embedded world 2025 trade fair in Nuremberg in Hall 1, Stand 510. -dir/vk-
