SK hynix Proves Memory Safety and Security, Seeks Edge in Physical AI

SK hynix said it has secured consecutive international certifications related to functional safety and cybersecurity for its LPDDR5X DRAM, moving to strengthen its technological competitiveness for the physical AI market. On the 11th, SK hynix said that its LPDDR5X DRAM had obtained SIL 3 certification under the industrial functional safety international standard IEC 61508 and CSMS certification based on the automotive cybersecurity international standard ISO/SAE 21434. Both certifications underwent review by global certification body SGS-TÜV Saar.

The latest certification gains align with a trend in which the scope of reliability evaluation for memory semiconductors is expanding from performance and durability to functional safety and cybersecurity. SK hynix said it had secured consecutive international certifications in functional safety and cybersecurity.

A physical AI environment is one in which AI directly judges and acts in the real world. In such an environment, memory errors and data tampering can lead to system malfunctions and safety accidents.

With IEC 61508, SK hynix has expanded the scope of its certification coverage to industrial functional safety. Previously, it held ISO 26262 ASIL-D certification, the international standard for automotive functional safety. IEC 61508 is the international standard that serves as the foundation for functional safety standards across industries.

IEC 61508 evaluates the safety of hardware, software and the entire development process. The purpose of the certification is to reduce risks that may arise from system malfunctions and failures. Certification levels are divided based on the safety integrity level (SIL), and the SIL system consists of four levels from 1 to 4. As the SIL number increases, the required safety level becomes stricter. The level secured by SK hynix is SIL 3, the highest level achievable by a single memory semiconductor.

SK hynix has secured a cybersecurity management system and also obtained TISAX, the information security certification for the automotive industry. Through these achievements, SK hynix has strengthened its safety and security certification framework for the automotive and industrial AI markets.

LPDDR5X is designed and validated to support Continuous mode. Continuous mode requires maintaining real-time safety status without interrupting system operation. As a result, LPDDR5X has secured a basis for deployment in robots and industrial automation equipment, where real-time judgment and control are critical.

The latest certification covers not only the product itself but also the entire process used to develop it. This means the certification is not limited to verifying the safety of products currently in mass production. SK hynix has secured a system that can consistently reflect safety requirements aligned with international standards in future products under development.

Based on this, SK hynix plans to extend the functional safety technologies it has accumulated in automobiles to industrial robots and smart factories. Automobiles and robots share the common trait of perceiving their surroundings, making decisions based on data and controlling actual movements. SK hynix believes that the safety technologies and verification experience it has built in the automotive sector can also be applied to the robotics market.

With its low-power and high-performance characteristics, LPDDR5X is suitable for edge AI devices that are sensitive to power consumption and heat generation. Based on this, the company said it will respond to functional safety requirements from customers developing robot platforms and system-on-chip (SoC) products. The company's goal is to expand its position in the industrial memory market.

A notable element of the latest certification is its cybersecurity capability alongside functional safety. SK hynix obtained certification under ISO/SAE 21434, the international standard for automotive cybersecurity engineering. As automobiles have become more connected to external networks and more software-centric, the importance of cybersecurity has increased. UNECE requires the establishment of a cybersecurity management system in the vehicle type-approval process, and as a result, automakers and parts suppliers need systematic security management capabilities from the development stage.

ISO 26262 focuses on responding to accidental system failures. By contrast, ISO/SAE 21434 focuses on protecting vehicle systems from external malicious attacks. This standard is based on threat analysis and risk assessment, and it applies across the entire lifecycle from product development and mass production to operation and disposal. It also requires management of cybersecurity activities throughout the lifecycle.

As autonomous vehicles store and transmit sensor data, AI computation results and encryption keys, cybersecurity from a memory semiconductor perspective is becoming increasingly important. External attacks can lead to data tampering and leaks, and such tampering or leakage could affect the vehicle's overall judgment and control systems.

Against this backdrop, SK hynix said that with its ISO/SAE 21434 certification, it has been confirmed in the certification review that its procedures for responding to threats meet international standards, that its procedures for establishing security requirements meet international standards, that its design and verification procedures meet international standards, and that its vulnerability management procedures meet international standards. It also received confirmation that its procedures across product development and mass production meet international standards.

The latest certification signifies validation of SK hynix's security management capabilities to international standards as a supplier of automotive memory. It also lays the groundwork for meeting the supply chain requirements of mobility customers that need to establish CSMS, and SK hynix has strengthened its information security competitiveness in the automotive sector. SK hynix secured the latest certification after becoming the first memory company in the industry to obtain TISAX early last year.

The background to SK hynix's accelerated pursuit of safety and security certifications is the growth potential of the physical AI market. Physical AI is a technology that goes beyond digital information processing to perceive, judge and act in the physical environment. Application areas for physical AI include autonomous vehicles, humanoid robots, industrial robots and smart factories.

Physical AI systems require real-time processing of massive amounts of data, as well as control of physical movement. Accordingly, computational performance, memory bandwidth, functional safety and cybersecurity are emerging as core competitive factors.

Functional safety plays a role in reducing the possibility of errors, while cybersecurity protects data from external attacks. Amid these changes, as AI systems become more advanced, the role of memory is also expanding from a simple storage device to a key component supporting judgment and control.

Accordingly, the challenge facing memory companies is also expanding beyond product performance to proving the reliability of development processes and the entire supply chain.

Based on its international certification framework covering functional safety ISO 26262 and IEC 61508, cybersecurity ISO/SAE 21434 and information security TISAX, SK hynix plans to strengthen its ability to serve customers in the automotive and industrial AI markets. Kim Jong-hwan, vice president of SK hynix and head of DRAM Development, said that as the physical AI market opens up, the importance of safety and security systems that conform to international standards is increasing in the memory development process.

On this basis, SK hynix plans to expand its participation in autonomous driving platforms and SDV projects and increase the number of global Tier 1 customers. At the same time, it plans to diversify memory applications into robots, edge AI and smart factories. Kim Jong-hwan, vice president of SK hynix and head of DRAM Development, said the company will solidify its leadership in full-stack AI memory at the AI system level in the physical AI market, including robots, edge AI and autonomous driving, based on its proven safety and security capabilities across the automotive and industrial sectors.

Source: TECHWORLD · Park Gyu-chan
Original: https://www.epnc.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=409569

References

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