Google has achieved a significant milestone in mobile security with the announcement that Android’s protected KVM (pKVM) hypervisor has officially received SESIP Level 5 certification, marking it as the first software security system designed for large-scale consumer electronics deployment to reach this prestigious assurance level.
This groundbreaking achievement positions Android at the forefront of secure mobile technology, establishing a new benchmark for open-source security frameworks in the consumer electronics industry.
The certification process involved rigorous evaluation by Dekra, a globally recognized cybersecurity certification laboratory, which conducted comprehensive testing against the TrustCB SESIP scheme in compliance with EN-17927 standards.
The SESIP Level 5 certification incorporates AVA_VAN.5, representing the highest level of vulnerability analysis and penetration testing under the ISO 15408 Common Criteria standard.
This certification validates that pKVM can withstand attacks from highly skilled, well-motivated, and well-funded adversaries who may possess insider knowledge and system access.
According to Dave Kleidermacher, VP of Engineering for Android Security & Privacy, this certification enables Android to securely support next-generation high-criticality isolated workloads, including on-device AI applications processing ultra-personalized data with maximum privacy and integrity assurances.
Google Security Blog analysts noted that this achievement addresses a critical gap in the industry, where many Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) lack formal certification or operate at lower security assurance levels.
Revolutionary Impact on Android’s Security Architecture
The certified pKVM fundamentally transforms Android’s multi-layered security strategy by providing a single, open-source, and exceptionally high-quality firmware foundation that all device manufacturers can utilize.
This standardization eliminates the inconsistency challenges developers face when building highly critical applications requiring robust and verifiable security levels.
Moving forward, Android device manufacturers will be mandated to implement isolation technology meeting equivalent security standards for various device-dependent security operations, ensuring every user benefits from a consistent, transparent, and verifiably secure foundation across the Android ecosystem.
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