Keysight, NXP Set New Standard for Automotive Security with World’s First Digital Key Applet

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Keysight Technologies, Inc., device security research lab, Riscure Security Solutions, has successfully completed the first Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) Digital Key Applet (DKA) certification for NXP® Semiconductors, a leading provider of secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications. The two companies worked together to evaluate and certify NXP’s automotive Digital Key solution, helping further the development of this new standard.

The CCC DKA program focuses on securing digital key solutions for the automotive industry that safeguard the privacy and security of users. This is achieved by implementing state-of-the-art public key protocols, hardware-based key storage, and wireless transmission standards to securely authorize user access in proximity of the key with the vehicle.

The Digital Key Applet certification program enables the automotive industry to build trust in the security of next-generation vehicles by providing essential security assurance and robustness against evolving threat landscapes - without placing an extra burden on backend services. This also opens new possibilities to expand vehicle functionality, such as car sharing, car rentals, and more business applications.

By achieving the first-ever CCC DKA certification, Riscure Security Solutions and NXP have taken a pivotal step in spearheading the development and market adoption of CCC Digital Key system. In addition, this certification showcases the ability to develop products securely, meeting the highest levels of assurance in the market, which can be compared to EAL 4 + AVA_VAN.5 used in the Common Criteria program, ensuring the security of a critical component that allows users access to their cars.

Digital Key Applet certification is the latest automotive security standard supported by Keysight, in addition to UN R155 and R156 regulations and others. Keysight fully supports its automotive customers in their security journey by offering a wide range of Automotive Testing Services, as well as providing necessary solutions and expertise to test and improve the overall robustness of automotive solutions.

Georg Stütz, Head of IoT and Automotive Certification, NXP, said: “Industry standards like the CCC are crucial to the industry, helping to build consumer trust with interoperability, security and a consistent user experience. By certifying a digital key applet, NXP is taking the next step in advancing secure car access across the ecosystem. NXP has worked with Riscure Security Solutions over many years for security testing and certification across different sectors and would once again like to thank Keysight’s Riscure Security Solutions for their expertise and support in helping NXP achieve this certification milestone.”

Marc Witteman, Director of the Device Security Research Lab at Keysight, said: “This achievement marks a significant step in the establishment of the CCC certification program, positioning both Keysight and NXP at the forefront of this groundbreaking development. This further demonstrates how Keysight enables automotive vendors to test and certify their solutions against the most stringent security requirements.”