Broadcom Launches World's First Secure Processor with Integrated RFID to Secure Personal Authentication Applications

28 June 2006

Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today introduced the world's first secure processor with integrated radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, as part of the company's Trusted Authentication Initiative. The new device is designed to secure personal authentication transactions associated with physical access, logical access (into a PC or network) and contactless payment applications. The secure processor also enhances the use of currently deployed authentication technologies, such as biometrics and contactless technologies, by eliminating some of their inherent security vulnerabilities.

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Personal authentication is a part of daily life -- people present "credentials" to prove their identity and gain access to a place or thing. In today's world, transactions for physical access, logical access and financial payment are increasingly becoming digital, and thus, our identity has become a collection of electronic bits. While enabling unprecedented levels of convenience, digital transactions inherently expose individuals and companies to greater risk of identity theft, invasion of privacy and physical harm. Though encryption and biometrics have given users a sense of security, in reality, it has pushed attackers towards weaker and more vulnerable parts of the network. In a world dominated by cyber fraud and terrorism headlines, system manufacturers know that they have to eliminate security vulnerabilities.

Announced today is the new Broadcom(R) BCM5890 secure processor, which helps solve these problems by providing a secure processing environment for protecting sensitive transactions. Authentication operations are too often handled on an open processor that is vulnerable to attack. The BCM5890 secure processor is different. It runs in a special secure mode that protects the software, and the security keys that run on it, from tampering or theft. Any system that implements authentication measures, such as biometrics and contactless technologies, will benefit from the use of the BCM5890 secure processor.

"Our society has become quite comfortable with our digital identities, yet in the pursuit of convenience we have opened ourselves up to identify theft and loss of privacy," said Joseph Wallace, Senior Director for Broadcom's Security Line of Business. "Broadcom is committed to providing the technology that joins security with convenience for such applications as physical access, logical access and financial payments."

"IDC sees biometrics and RFID becoming significant technologies in the personal authentication space, yet there are still concerns surrounding vulnerability issues," said Sally Hudson, Research Manager, Security Products and Services, IDC. "Broadcom's BCM5890 is designed to address these problems."

To enable the rapid porting of secure credentials and applications to the BCM5890 secure processor, Broadcom also launched today its Integrity Platform, enabling manufacturers to develop personal authentication products. The development platform consists of a set of tools and standards-based application programming interfaces (APIs), such as PKCS11 (public-key cryptography standard), that are designed to reduce the customer's software development effort while accelerating time-to-market. As a result, credentials that are ported to the Integrity Platform will run seamlessly on the BCM5890, as well as future Broadcom secure processors.

Broadcom's Integrity Platform enables the convergence of personal authentication by allowing a single platform to manage multiple credentials. As part of this initiative, Broadcom and RSA Security are partnering to embed the market-leading RSA SecurID(R) technology within the BCM5890 secure processor. Once RSA SecurID technology is fully embedded, Broadcom customers developing BCM5890-based solutions will be able to have their products certified as RSA SecurID Ready. This certification will demonstrate to enterprise customers that native RSA SecurID support exists and is available to be activated.

"Broadcom and RSA Security share a common vision of securing the enterprise, and our partnership will help organizations significantly improve their overall IT security posture, while allowing companies to further leverage existing technology investments," said John Worrall, Senior Vice President of Marketing at RSA Security. "Broadcom's BCM5890 secure processor and Integrity Platform, coupled with native support for RSA SecurID technology, will enable businesses to improve security and more cost-effectively deploy strong authentication to employees, customers and partners."

HID Global has also chosen to port its Prox and iCLASS(R) physical access credentials to the BCM5890 secure processor. Future personal access devices based on the BCM5890 architecture will be interoperable with the large installed base of HID contactless reader infrastructures that exist worldwide.

"As an industry leader, HID Global is committed to providing the marketplace with a broad range of physical security solutions," said Tam Hulusi, Executive Vice President, HID Global. "The secure architecture of the Broadcom BCM5890 Integrity Platform enables HID Global and our OEM partners to safely embed HID's security application into devices other than traditional readers and cards, to create innovative new products and solutions."

The BCM5890 secure processor features an ARM(R)-based processor that is FIPS Level 3-compliant and can run both secure and non-secure applications. The embedded contactless RFID tag capability enables usage in systems that utilize either the 13.56 MHz (ISO14443 and ISO15693) or 125 kHz frequencies. The BCM5890 chip also features a set of host interfaces that make it ideally suited for a wide range of client and infrastructure applications covering physical access, logical access and contactless payments.

New Wireless Biometric Fob Based on the BCM5890

The BCM5890 secure processor is currently being implemented in a number of security and personal authentication products that will soon be available on the market. The first of these is the plusID(TM) personal biometric authentication device from Privaris Inc., with whom Broadcom collaborated to help shape the architecture of the BCM5890. The plusID device is the first wireless biometric handheld fob designed for both physical and logical access, as well as for contactless payments. The embedded BCM5890 secure processor performs all fingerprint processing on-board, eliminating the need for a biometric database while protecting the user's personal privacy.

The plusID fob is currently in the certification process to be an RSA SecurID Ready device, and, once certified, will be available to enterprise customers for use within existing RSA Security authentication infrastructures. Certification will ensure that the plusID fob, powered by the secure processing capabilities of the BCM5890, is able to generate RSA SecurID one-time password values for logical access into an enterprise network. Further leveraging the integrated contactless tag within the BCM5890, plusID is compatible with existing physical security technologies and infrastructures from HID, Indala and Kantech. HID will provide a USB compatible device called idBank(TM) which is used for the highly secure and convenient transmission and delivery of HID card formats for storage in the Privaris plusID device. Both RSA Security and HID credentials are released only upon successful user authentication via the integrated fingerprint sensor. Each plusID fob is compatible with 125 kHz proximity technology, 13.56 MHz contactless smart card technology, Bluetooth(R) and USB.

"The plusID biometric fob delivers high security and multiple applications at an extremely affordable price," said Barry W. Johnson, Co-founder, President and CEO of Privaris Inc. "Broadcom's BCM5890 technology was key in allowing us to hit our price targets as well as providing FIPS Level 3 security compliance to financial and government customers. We look forward to continuing our strategic alliance with Broadcom for the rapid roll-out of future biometric products."

Availability and Pricing

The BCM5890 is sampling today to early access customers and is priced at $15.00 each in 10,000 unit quantities.

About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation is a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. Our products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment. Broadcom provides the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of- the-art system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices. These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything(R).

Broadcom, one of the world's largest fabless semiconductor companies with annual revenue of more than $2.5 billion, is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe. Broadcom may be contacted at 1-949-450-8700 or at http://www.broadcom.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

All statements included or incorporated by reference in this release, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and business, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.

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Broadcom(R), the pulse logo, Connecting everything(R), and the Connecting everything logo are trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. ARM(R) is a registered trademark of ARM Limited. plusID(TM) is a trademark of Privaris Inc. HID(R), iCLASS(R) and idBank(TM) are trademarks of HID Global Corporation. RSA SecurID(R) is a trademark of RSA Security Inc. Bluetooth(R) is a trademark of the Bluetooth SIG. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

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