Barco Silex extends crypto offering with Chacha20/Poly1305 authenticated encryption

Louvain‐la‐Neuve, Belgium ‐‐ June 16, 2017 ‐‐ Barco Silex, leading provider of IP cores for embedded hardware security, adds an RFC7539-compliant crypto engine to its offering to provide its customers with future-proof authenticated encryption between networked applications, for example in the IoT. The new IP core is available for ASIC and FPGA devices. With simple and straightforward interfaces, the IP core is easy to integrate and highly scalable, hallmarks of all Barco Silex’ IP cores.

The new BA417 core uses the Chacha20 stream cipher combined with the Poly1305 message-authentication code. Poly1305 is a cryptographic message authentication code (MAC) used to verify the data integrity and the authenticity of a message. Together with the Chacha20 symmetric cipher, is has been designed as a more secure alternative to older algorithms in TLS/SSL, the underlying protocol that secures most internet communication in e.g. browsers (https), voice-over-IP, mobile devices and IoT applications.

Still to be approved by the NIST, Chacha20/Poly1305 has already been adopted and deployed by major companies such as Google (Chrome browser, Android mobile devices) and Apple (Apple HomeKit for IoT devices). It is part of the TLS 1.3 specification, a more secure and efficient alternative to TLS 1.2 that was finalized by the end of 2016.

“By offering this new crypto IP, we ensure that all our customers can design their applications future-proof, using the latest in secure communication and ensuring compatibility with state-of-the-art consumer devices and software,” says Sébastien Rabou, product manager cryptography at Barco Silex. “That is why we also offer this new functionality in our acclaimed eSecure module, a comprehensive security IP core that turns ASIC and SoC designs into fully-secured hardware applications.”

Product page: Chacha20-Poly1305 IP core

About Barco Silex

Barco Silex (Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium) is a world leader in security IP cores and platforms, encryption and video processing, as well as in electronic design services (ASIC, FPGA, DSP, Board). Thanks to its continued stream of innovations, Barco Silex provides state-of-the-art security solutions, with security platforms and encryption cores that deliver unrivaled speed and performance in a very compact footprint. Barco Silex is a subsidiary of Barco (NYSE Euronext Brussels: BAR), the global leader in networked visualization products for the entertainment, enterprise and healthcare markets. For more information about Barco Silex: www.barco-silex.com