The CC33xx family of devices are the next generation of the Simplelink™ embedded solutions. The main role of these devices is to meet the requirements of the new emerging Internet of Things (IoT) use cases while being compatible with the latest cutting-edge technologies like Wi-Fi™ 6 and Bluetooth® Low Energy 5.4.
These next generation devices enable affordable, reliable and secure connectivity in embedded applications with a host processor running Linux® or an MCU host running RTOS. The CC33xx family of devices offer a wide range of built-in security features to help developers address a variety of security needs.
Simplelink™ is a trademark of Texas Instruments.
Wi-Fi™ is a trademark of Wi-Fi Alliance.
SimpleLink™ is a trademark of Texas Instruments.
Bluetooth® is a registered trademark of Bluetooth Sig, Inc.
Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Internet of Things (IoT) products and systems hold information that can be sensitive and private, thus stressing the importance of securing the data. This data can include passwords, keys, credentials, configurations, personal information, vendor intellectual property (IP), and more. The growing number of published exploited weaknesses in security and the requirements that keep coming from governments and standards organizations, mandate building robust cybersecurity measures for every new IoT device.
This document describes these security related features, which are made available to vendors through an ecosystem that incorporates simple and concise APIs, tools, and documentation. This document does not address the security related features on network layers or application layers and cover only the features that resides in the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy peripherals.
Abbreviations | Meaning |
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Asset | An asset is any piece of information (security-relevant elements) that has value to the owner. An asset therefore must be protected by the measures of the target system (by means of confidentiality, integrity, authenticity). Assets can be proprietary information, personal data, or intellectual property. |
Authenticity | Maintains that assets or entities are genuine and authorized to perform a task or used as intended. The verification process usually involves cryptographic algorithms, which check that the entities are who they claim to be. Some predefined trust mechanism is always part of an authentication scheme. |
Certificates | Certificates are standard-formatted files. Certificates typically contain the public key of the subject, and a CA signature of the header and public key. Anyone provided with the CA public key (or sub-CA in case of certificate chain) can verify the subject’s identity. |
Certificate authority (CA) | A trusted entity that issues certificates used to verify identities. |
Certificate chain, Chain of trust | A certificate chain consists of a hierarchy of certificates that allows anyone to verify the identity of any certificate issuer, down to the root certificate. |
Confidentiality | Confidentiality maintains that an asset is not made available or disclosed to unauthorized entities. In most cases, confidentiality translates into encryption, while in other cases, obfuscation techniques are used to maintain confidentiality. |
Integrity | Attribute describing an object that remains intact entirely, compared to the original version. |
Root CA | The topmost certificate provided by a certificate authority, against which the certificate chain is eventually verified. The certificate is always self-signed and publicly available. |