TrustZone
TrustZone Image
ARM® TrustZone® technology is a system-wide approach to security for a wide array of client and server computing platforms, including handsets, tablets, wearable devices and enterprise systems. Applications enabled by the technology are extremely varied but include payment protection technology, digital rights MANAGEMENT, BYOD, and a host of secured enterprise solutions.
TrustZone technology is tightly integrated into Cortex®-A processors but the secure state is also extended throughout the system via the AMBA® AXI™ bus and specific TrustZone System IP blocks. This system approach means that it is possible to secure peripherals such as secure memory, crypto blocks, keyboard and screen to ensure they can be protected from software attack.
Devices developed with TrustZone technology, according to the recommendations of the Trusted Base System Architecture specification, enables the delivery of platforms capable of supporting a full Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) and security aware applications and secure services, or Trusted Applications (TA). A Trusted Execution Environment is a small secure kernel, and normally developed with standard APIs, developed to the TEE specification evolved by the Global Platform industry forum .
TrustZone enables the development of separate Rich Operating System and Trusted Execution Environments by creating additional operating modes to the Normal domain, known as the Secure domain and the Monitor mode. The Secure domain has the same capabilities to the normal domain while operating in a separate memory space. The Secure Monitor acts as a virtual gatekeeper controlling migration between the domains.
Read more information on the use and development of TEEs and Secure Monitor Code.