Silicon Labs Fortifies its IoT Security Dominance with Groundbreaking PSA Level 4 Certification
In a significant leap forward for Internet of Things (IoT) security, Silicon Labs has achieved the world's first PSA Level 4 certification for its Series 3 Secure Vault security subsystem on the SiXG301 System-on-Chip (SoC). This certification, the highest level recognized by PSA Certified, signifies the highest level of protection against sophisticated physical attacks on embedded devices.
The Series 3 Secure Vault, engineered to endure over a decade in the field, boasts exceptional resilience against advanced hardware attacks such as laser fault injection, side-channel attacks, microprobing, and voltage manipulation. These threats, once considered mostly theoretical, are now actual risks in the IoT landscape.
Level 4 certification demands integrated, hardware-level countermeasures built directly into the silicon, elevating security robustness and trustworthiness. This hardware-embedded security is a departure from lower PSA levels, which focus more on software.
The PSA Level 4 certification for IoT security solutions offers future-proof protection, designed to defend against current and emerging physical threats for over a decade. This feature helps IoT product makers comply with rising global security regulations, including the EU Radio Equipment Directive (RED), effective in August 2025.
The certification includes thorough third-party testing by recognized authorities, such as Keysight Technologies, adding credibility and assurance to the security claims. Silicon Labs collaborated with Keysight Technologies to validate Secure Vault on Series 3 for PSA Level 4. Keysight's advanced testing methodologies, including side-channel analysis and fault injection, were instrumental in validating the Series 3 Secure Vault's resilience against today's most sophisticated threats.
The SiXG301 SoC is expected to be the first Series 3 device to market with PSA Level 4 certification when it becomes generally available in Q3 2025. All Series 3 devices are planned to feature this industry-leading enhanced security foundation.
Silicon Labs' holistic approach to security and expert guidance gives product teams a head start on regulatory readiness and consumer trust, backed by independent lab validation. Silicon Labs SoCs were the industry's first to reach PSA Levels 1 and 2.
The Series 3 platform, built on a 22 nm process node, is an industry leader in security and scales Silicon Labs' award-winning Series 2 security legacy with PSA Level 4 capabilities. The Series 3 Secure Vault and the SiXG301 SoC exemplify security as an ongoing lifecycle, not a one-time event, with over-the-air firmware and software updates and real-time monitoring.
Silicon Labs stands ready to help device makers align with emerging global regulations such as the EU's RED, US Cyber Trust Mark, and Singapore's Cybersecurity Labeling Scheme (CLS). To aid developers, Silicon Labs offers a webinar, "Stay Ahead of Global IoT Security Regulations with Silicon Labs," to help integrate RED-ready security into their products.
References: 1. IoT Security: The Rising Threat of Physical Attacks 2. Silicon Labs Achieves PSA Level 4 Certification for Series 3 Secure Vault Security Subsystem 3. PSA Certified Level 4: The Highest Level of Security Assurance for IoT Devices 4. The Impact of PSA Certified Level 4 on IoT Device Manufacturing 5. Global IoT Security Regulations: A Guide for Device Manufacturers
The SiXG301 System-on-Chip (SoC) is planned to be the first Series 3 device to market with PSA Level 4 certification, demonstrating Silicon Labs' commitment to the highest level of technology-embedded security against sophisticated physical attacks on IoT devices. This hardware-embedded security is a departure from lower PSA levels, emphasizing the importance of technology in safeguarding the future of IoT product development.
