Infineon is taking another step toward a quantum-safe world with its new SLC27 security controller, part of the TEGRION family. The device is aimed at engineers designing systems that must stay secure for many years, things like ePassports, IoT nodes, or secure elements embedded in equipment that will still be running a decade from now.
Quantum computing isn’t a far-off theory anymore. It is moving quickly enough that the encryption we rely on today, including RSA and ECC, could one day be broken. That possibility has pushed hardware makers to act early. The SLC27 does exactly that, giving OEMs a controller that already supports post-quantum cryptography (PQC) so they can build long-life products without worrying about a future security reset.
A Look Inside the SLC27
At its core, the controller is built on Infineon’s Integrity Guard 32 architecture. It is designed to protect against side-channel and fault attacks while still keeping latency and performance in check. Inside sits a Common Criteria-certified cryptography library that includes the ML-KEM and ML-DSA algorithms, both recognised by NIST as leading candidates for post-quantum standards.
One of the more useful aspects is its crypto-agile design. Firmware and algorithms can be updated while the device is in the field, meaning security can evolve as standards mature. For engineers dealing with hardware that might stay in service for 10 or 20 years, that flexibility is not just convenient; it is essential.
Long-Life Applications
Infineon is positioning the SLC27 for products where upgrades are rare and longevity matters. In industrial IoT, sensors and controllers often stay online for two decades. Having PQC built in from day one helps protect that data stream well into the 2030s. Government IDs and ePassports also benefit since they remain valid for many years and can’t simply be replaced when encryption changes.
The same applies to secure elements used for brand protection or medical devices, where tamper resistance and authenticity checks must survive through long product lifecycles. It’s a small but important shift: hardware that anticipates future attacks rather than reacting to them.
Why It Matters
Infineon’s approach shows that post-quantum security is no longer a research topic but a design requirement. The SLC27 offers engineers a ready-to-use platform that bridges current cryptography and the next generation of standards. In practice, it means products built today can still be trusted years after quantum computers become practical.
To learn more, please visit www.infineon.com
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