Multos Trust Hub
What it is
The MULTOS Trust Hub USB dongle contains the same MULTOS ML5-P22 secure microcontroller as other devices in the MULTOS Trust Anchor range, but instead of using test keys (convenient for development use) it has live keys so can also be deployed securely in live scenarios (and also still be used for development).
The dongle includes a USB interface chip that connects to the MULTOS chip (operating in i2c command mode). It appears as a serial device on the host computer. On Windows the COM port is allocated when the device is first plugged in and the driver is set up.
When operating, the Trust Hub dongle processes smartcard Application Protocol Data Units (APDUs) in T=1 mode.
What it can be used for
The dongle can be used for anything you may want to use a highly secure smartcard for but cannot / do not want to use a smartcard reader. For example:
- Digital signatures
- Digital signature verification
- Secure password storage
- Two factor authentication
- Message encryption
- Key management
- Software licensing
MULTOS, being a multi-application platform, means that a single dongle may support multiple use-cases (applications) in one device. A good analogy is that the dongle is an easy to use, plug-in, programmable hardware security module (HSM).
Where it can be used
The dongle can be deployed to any device with a USB port that supports the USB Serial Port Profile. Interface code is supplied for Java, Windows and Raspberry Pi (the latter should also be usable on other LINUX platforms).
