Hardware security for mobile devices is fast becoming a priority market as maturing applications for mobile finance or government-level use increasingly demand security at the core, according to ABI Research (http://www.abiresearch.com).

Trust hardware and secure boot for trusted executions environments are necessary elements for such industries, says the research group. Without this security assurance, applications for mobile commerce, mobile money or wallet will have some difficulty getting off the ground and finding adoption by the big card payment providers.

There are a number of obstacles barring the way to the full dynamic emergence of a hardware security market. Not least of which is the fragmented mobile device landscape, with as many players on the silicon IP side as in OEM [original equipment manufacturing], led by ARM, Trustonic, and Samsung. This particular mobile movement is also colliding head-on with long-standing efforts on the PC side that is looking to adapt tried and tested methods to the mobile landscape, with Intel and Microsoft pushing the boat.

Specifications on both sides of the spectrum are increasingly looking to answer the same problem, while not specifically competing head-on. TEE, TPM, and UEFI are a few of those specs looking to address the issue of intrinsic security within the device. While a number of players are vying for leadership in the space, the market is yet too nascent and fractured, leaving many to distribute their eggs in as many baskets as possible, unwilling to discount a potential rival due to the highly volatile nature of the mobile market.

"Interesting partnerships are being formed in the market, with players still unsure which technology will ultimately prevail. Yet all are aware of the pressing demand for security and that they will need to dive into the turbulent waters soon if they want to stay ahead of the game," says Michela Menting, ABI Research’s senior analyst in cybersecurity. ABI Research estimates the current Mobile Hardware Security market to reach $1 billion by the end of 2014.

The market will offer significant opportunities for a diverse number of industry verticals: silicon IP designers, SoC manufacturers, OEMs, trusted service managers, mobile network operators, and security firms. The report “Mobile Device Security: Hardware” looks in-depth at the following companies: ARM, Intel, Samsung, Microsoft, Trustonic, Apple, and Nokia, as well as providing some insight into potential innovators such as Intrinsic-ID, Secure IC, and Inside Secure.