What is a Secure Element and Why Should You Care?
What is a Secure Element and Why Should You Care?
Ina world where our reliance on personal computing devices is increasing, protecting our digital assets is more important than ever. Small “edge” or “endpoint” devices play an ever-growing role in our daily lives, and in many cases these devices contain sensitive data that must be kept private. Obvious examples of edge devices include smartphones and smartwatches, but they are just the tip of the iceberg.
Personal medical devices, smart door locks, cryptocurrency wallets, and digital wallets are just a few of the types of smart devices that must be secured to protect personal information.
Asa developer, building security into an edge device with limited resources presents challenges. With the growing threat of cyberattack and new security legislations such as the European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), security is no longer optional—it's essential. Enter the Secure Element (SE).
You may have never heard of it, but a Secure Element (SE) is likely working behind the scenes in your smartphone, smartwatch, or credit card. It's one of the unsung heroes of modern digital security. Here’s what it is, what it does, and why it matters to you.
What Is a Secure Element?
A Secure Element is a tamper-resistant chip designed to securely store and process sensitive information, such as:
- Cryptographic keys
- Payment credentials
- Biometric data
- Authentication tokens
A Secure Element is a physically separate chip that is isolated from the device’s main processor and from the rest of the system. This separation makes it extremely difficult for attackers to access or manipulate the data stored inside. Even if an attacker gains access to the main processor of the device, they still cannot access the data stored in the Secure Element.
Many Secure Element are tamper-resistant, meaning they provide protection against physical attacks. This protection is achieved through hardware-based environmental sensors, such as laser detectors and electromagnetic (EM) field detectors. When these sensors are triggered, the Secure Element takes action such as shutting down, deleting or wiping storage to prevent sensitive data from being discovered.
How Does a Secure Element Work?
Secure Elements are designed with hardware-level security, making them more resilient than software-based solutions. They typically have their own:
- CPU
- Memory
- Cryptographic engine
Since they have their own CPU and memory, the Secure Element can perform encryption operations within the security boundary of the chip. Encryption keys, security tokens, or credit card information never leaves the Secure Element. This isolation means that even if malware compromises the device’s main operating system, the information stored in the Secure Element remains protected.
Let’s say you’re using Apple Pay or Google Pay. When you add your credit card, the card details are encrypted and stored in the Secure Element. During a transaction, the SE generates a one-time-use cryptographic token to process the payment—without ever revealing your actual card number.
Why Should You Care?
As an engineer designing a new product, a Secure Element provides a critical layer of protection for sensitive information and enables compliance with security legislation such as the CRA. A secure element also enables critical secure features, including:
- Privacy Protection: Personal and biometric data such as fingerprints and passwords must remain private to ensure security. Using a Secure Element to store these makes it much harder for hackers to steal that information.
- Secure Boot and Secure Firmware Updates: Ensuring your device is running authentic, unmodified code is critical for the security of any device. A secure element provides protected storage of keys and signatures to enable the secure boot and secure firmware updates.
- Secure Payments: Digital wallets, contactless cards, and NFC-based payments rely on SEs to secure payment transactions. Without them, mobile payments would not be secure or trusted.
- Two-Factor Authentication: Devices with a SE can act as strong authentication tools. Hardware security keys like YubiKey use SEs to protect accounts with phishing-resistant two-factor authentication (2FA).
- Digital Identity & Access Control: As governments and businesses move toward digital IDs and mobile passports, SEs are becoming key to ensuring those credentials can’t be cloned or forged.
Summary
Secure Elements are invisible to most users, but they play a critical role in safeguarding our digital world. From digital wallets to personal medical devices, they are working behind the scenes, making technology safer for everyone.
When considering your next product design, it is critical to think about security. Secure Elements are one of the strongest layers of protection available.
