Samsung boosts security for its smart TV product line

Jan 2, 2016 13:12 GMT  ·  By

Amid more and more news of smart TV hacking incidents, Samsung took a step forward and boosted the security of its Tizen-based smart TVs with the release of GAIA, a smart TV security platform.

The new GAIA platform is going to ship with Samsung's entire 2016 line-up of Tizen-based smart TVs, and will be a core part of the Tizen OS, an operating system based on the Linux kernel, specifically targeting the IoT market.

GAIA, as a platform, includes three distinct security layers.

The first security layer, called the Secure Zone, is a virtual realm protected by a PIN-like code. Inside this zone, the TV saves all the user's private information, from financial details to app passwords.

The second GAIA security layer addresses data safety in transport, and Samsung will use GAIA to safely encrypt any type of communications sent from the TV to its central servers.

The third and last GAIA security layer is embedded in the Tizen OS itself, which was cleverly built to feature two major sections. The first OS section specifically handles security features, while the second OS section deals with all device-specific functions.

Additionally, the public key used for verifying operations will be included in the hardware chip itself, boosting security tenfold.

For now, GAIA will be deployed with Samsung's smart TV product line, but Samsung plans to focus on the security of IoT devices, and GAIA, in one form or another, will probably play a big role in its strategy.

A Samsung Tizen OS smart TV
A Samsung Tizen OS smart TV

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Samsung announces GAIA security platform
A Samsung Tizen OS smart TV
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