Asymmetric cryptography on USB ICs

EDN Europe, 11 Oct 2007

Future Technology Devices International (FTDI) has paired an ActiveX software control, SafeGuard-IT, with its hardware-based FTDIChip-ID feature, to provide a software security dongle capability. Such features are available when used together with FTDI’s FT232R USB UART and FT245R USB FIFO ICs. The FTDIChip-ID is a unique 32-bit number that is burned into the IC device during manufacture. This ID is then readable over a connected USB port and forms the basis of a security check to prevent use of unlicensed copies of application software. An asymmetric cryptography technique, using both public and private keys, is incorporated into the SafeGuard-IT control. Encrypted information based on the FTDIChip-ID, the private key and an optional password, is programmed back into the IC’s integrated EEPROM. This provides an easy-to-deploy method of software protection with a high level of security, the company says. Protected software packages need only be compiled once and can then be distributed with just two additional files to decrypt the information, the public key and the SafeGuard-IT DLL. The SafeGuard-IT control is a free download from the FTDI web site.