Original Equipment Manufacturers [OEMs] making products – whether IoT devices, smartphones, watches or cars – are under greater pressure than ever before to bring innovative, feature-rich devices to market with no compromise on security.
From smartphones and smartwatches to connected cars and IoT devices, the attack surface is growing, and so are the threats. With more advanced cyber threats, OEMs need to make a security-first approach a top priority to ensure customer trust, regulatory compliance and long-term brand value.
Trustonic is a global leader in embedded security. By making robust, hardware-backed security solutions available at scale, Trustonic is enabling OEMs to introduce trust into all levels of their devices, from chipset to application.
Before we venture into how Trustonic makes this possible, it helps to explore the growing security challenges OEMs are faced with today.
The increasing security threats for OEMs
The online world is evolving rapidly, and so is the cyber threat landscape.
For OEMs, the stakes are particularly high. Devices no longer exist in isolation – they are now part of vast networks and often control or have access to valuable personal, financial and business data. This interconnectedness, while an innovation enabler, also invites a myriad of vulnerabilities and risks.
Some of the most significant security concerns include:
1. Proliferation of IoT devices
There is huge competition in all IoT markets, meaning there is pressure to focus on releasing new features quickly for competitive advantage. However, if OEMs fail to make security a cornerstone of their design process, they are likely to release devices with design flaws or vulnerabilities, making them an easy target for attackers.
2. Complex supply chains
OEMs tend to rely on a global supply chain for components and software. Every third-party dependency creates possible security blind spots, ranging from firmware backdoors and unverified/tested software to failure to enforce signature verification.
3. Increasing regulatory pressure
From GDPR in Europe to CCPA in California and impending legislation in the UK and elsewhere, governments are cracking down on device and data security. OEMs need to comply with regulations such as ETSI EN 303 645 & UNECE WP.29, or they risk facing fines, reputational damage and customer churn.
4. Fraud and cloning
Cloning, tampering and grey market reselling of devices continue to be a significant challenge, especially in mobile. Fraud doesn’t only diminish OEM revenues but also poses risks to the user if counterfeit devices are insecure.
5. User trust and brand integrity
Even just one breach can cause irreparable damage to a brand’s reputation. As users begin to better understand digital security, trust is becoming an important factor for differentiation in the market.
Clearly, security is no longer a luxury but rather a basic product requirement. But how can OEMs get ahead of such a fast-evolving landscape?
Trustonic: Empowering a security-first future
Robust security starts at the heart of the device, and this is why we focus on providing device OEMs with a powerful suite of tools to help them adopt a holistic security-first strategy. Our solutions are based on the core belief that true security must be embedded at the hardware level and extendable to software and services.
At the heart of Trustonic’s platform is our Kinibi Secure OS, which provides a device’s main processor to guarantee sensitive code and data are executed and kept separate from the main operating system.
This is especially crucial for applications that handle secure payments, biometric data, digital identities and encryption keys. With over 2 billion devices globally equipped with Kinibi, it’s one of the most widely deployed security platforms in the world.
Device lifecycle management has also become a core requirement for many OEMs. Securing control of devices across their entire lifecycle — from manufacturing through in-market use is critical for compliance with new industry requirements such as the Cyber Resilience Act in Europe.
In order to enable this, OEMs can leverage Kinibi to:
- Provision security credentials and policies during manufacturing or over-the- air [OTA]
- Attest device integrity to detect tampering or unauthorized modifications
- Remotely lock or unlock devices in cases of theft, fraud or contract default
- Audit which devices are in field at any time, and track illicit use/export/reprovisioning
Flexibility and scalability have also become important requirements as OEMs seek to leverage common, trusted solutions to reduce the complexity of supporting compliance requirements and the security expectations of their customers.
Trustonic’s solutions are modular and scalable by design. Whether an OEM is producing low-cost IoT devices or connected cars, Trustonic’s technology scales to address varying performance and security requirements.
Our platform supports Android, Linux, QNX, RTOS’s and more, enabling interoperability across devices and ecosystems. For automotive OEMs, this means enhanced security for infotainment systems, navigation data and even autonomous driving algorithms. And for smartphone makers, it means smooth Android CTS validation, support for OEM applications such as Payment and powerful DRM for streaming media.
Ultimately, one of the biggest challenges for OEMs is balancing security with time-to- market. Trustonic bridges this gap by offering ready-to-implement SDKs, APIs, and detailed documentation. This allows OEMs to integrate security into the product design cycle — not as an afterthought, but as a strategic foundation.
Trustonic also offers expert consulting to help OEMs navigate the challenges of regulatory compliance, threat modelling and secure supply chain integration.
Security is a philosophy, not a patch
For OEMs, the future is clear: security needs to become a core part of the organisation’s philosophy rather than a “feature” that is bolted on in order to be good enough. It needs to begin with the silicon level and carry through to applications, users and services.
As digital trust becomes increasingly in demand, the leaders in the OEM market will be the ones that prioritise security as a core feature — not just a checkbox. Trustonic offers OEMS a proven, scalable and secure way to adopt a security-first approach. By partnering with Trustonic, OEMs can reduce risk, enhance trust and accelerate innovation — all while delivering safer, smarter devices to the world.
Want to learn more?
Contact us to find out about our solutions or to request a tailored demo.
