Net Peace Inc. (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Yuki Furutate; hereinafter "Net Peace") announces, in collaboration with NSW Inc. (Head Office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Shoji Tada; hereinafter "NSW") and KeyXentic Inc. (Head Office: Taipei, Taiwan; CEO: Sean Hung; hereinafter "KeyXentic") — the provider of the information security service "Keyper" — that NSW officially adopted the passwordless authentication platform "Keyper" as its security foundation for the semiconductor industry on January 16, 2026.
This adoption strengthens authentication and access management security across NSW's semiconductor development environment and semiconductor design services, enabling the company to meet the stringent cybersecurity requirements of the semiconductor industry and beyond. As the authorized distributor of KeyXentic products in Japan, Net Peace will continue to support the implementation of Keyper and its stable operation and deployment in the Japanese market.
Background
The semiconductor industry handles high-value intellectual property (IP) such as design data, and operates within a multi-layered supply chain structure involving numerous stakeholders — including design, manufacturing, equipment, materials, and external contractors.
In this environment, conventional password-centric authentication methods and software-based multi-factor authentication alone have become insufficient to counter increasingly sophisticated cyber threats such as credential theft and identity spoofing. Recent international security guidelines and industry trends have also made clear the limitations of single-factor and password-dependent authentication approaches.
In particular, the semiconductor industry — led by SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) — has emphasized the importance of cybersecurity measures that span the entire supply chain rather than individual companies. Enhanced authentication and access management based on anti-spoofing resilience, hardware-based authentication, and Zero Trust principles have been identified as critical security requirements.
Against this backdrop, the decision was made to formally adopt Keyper as the authentication platform best aligned with the semiconductor industry's unique operating environment and advanced security requirements.
Rationale for Adoption
Keyper is an authentication platform that aligns with the cybersecurity requirements emphasized by the semiconductor industry and SEMI in the following respects:
- FIDO-compliant (UAF / hardware token) authentication design with built-in phishing resistance
- Hardware-based cryptographic authentication that never exposes private keys outside the device
- Access control based on Zero Trust principles of least privilege and continuous verification
These capabilities provide effective countermeasures against credential theft attacks — a recognized threat in semiconductor development and manufacturing environments.
Alignment with Public Guidelines
Security guidelines have been established across various sectors. By deploying Keyper — which supports compliance with each of these guidelines — NSW is positioned to extend its services across multiple regulated domains.
○ Semiconductor Sector
Protecting high-value IP — including design data and manufacturing know-how — across the entire supply chain is a priority.
・ SEMI E169 / E187 / E188: These standards emphasize the establishment of a trust foundation based on public-key cryptography, prevention of identity spoofing, and cross-supply-chain security assurance. By centering on FIDO-compliant, hardware-based authentication, Keyper contributes to strengthening identity, authentication, and access control in alignment with these requirements.
○ Defense & Government Sector
Keyper provides an authentication foundation capable of meeting the "phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication" requirements prioritized in Zero Trust strategies led by the U.S. government.
・ NIST SP 800-63B: Requires hardware-based, phishing-resistant authentication for defense and government systems.
・ OMB M-22-09 (U.S. Federal Zero Trust Strategy): Mandates phishing-resistant MFA for government systems.
・ DoD Zero Trust Strategy: Positions identity as one of the most critical pillars of Zero Trust.
○ Financial Sector (Banking, Securities, Insurance)
Strong, phishing-resistant identity verification is required to prevent fraudulent transfers and account takeovers.
・ FSA Cybersecurity Guidelines for the Financial Sector (Japan): Section 2.3.1, "Authentication & Access Management," calls for strengthened authentication and access management, including least-privilege principles and strict management of privileged accounts (including multi-factor authentication). Recent supplementary guidance aligned with these guidelines identifies passkeys, PKI, and other phishing-resistant authentication methods as concrete examples of strong identity verification.
○ Healthcare & Life Sciences Sector
Ensuring verifiable individual identity — clearly establishing who accessed a system and when — is a fundamental requirement.
・ FDA 21 CFR Part 11 (U.S.) / Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Guidelines on Information System Security in Healthcare (Japan): Define approaches to identity verification and access control for electronic records.
○ Supply Chain Overall (Manufacturing, Logistics, Critical Infrastructure)
Across the entire supply chain — including business partners and contractors — a persistent challenge is that "weak accounts become a risk to the entire network."
・ NIST SP 800-161: Explicitly highlights the importance of strong access management throughout the supply chain.
○ ISO / International Standards
・ ISO/IEC 27001 / ISO/IEC 27002: Specify the establishment of user identification and authentication management, and prevention of unauthorized access and identity spoofing.
・ ISO/IEC 62443 (Industrial Control / OT): Mandates robust authentication and access control implementation and emphasizes the importance of identity management in IT/OT environments.
Endorsement from KeyXentic Inc.
This collaboration with NSW represents an important milestone for KeyXentic as well. In the semiconductor industry — where extremely stringent security requirements are the standard — KeyXentic has demonstrated, as the first Taiwanese identity governance brand to be deployed and validated in the Japanese market, that it possesses top-tier technical capabilities in identity authentication and identity management that conform to international standards. We will continue to work closely with NSW to build an even safer and more reliable technology foundation.
KeyXentic Inc.
CEO, Sean Hung
Endorsement from Net Peace Inc.
We sincerely welcome NSW as the first company in Japan to officially deploy and adopt Keyper — a Zero Trust Enterprise IAM (Identity and Access Management) platform for identity governance. At its core, this platform leverages FIDO-compliant, passwordless multi-factor authentication that meets international standards. Building on this foundation and extending into identity verification, access control, and account lifecycle management, Keyper comprehensively strengthens an organization's identity security infrastructure.
By eliminating reliance on passwords, Keyper effectively reduces the security risks historically associated with traditional password-based authentication. We are confident that by combining NSW's extensive technical expertise and domain knowledge with Keyper, they will be able to deliver safer and more reliable services in sectors with demanding security requirements.
Net Peace Inc.
President & CEO, Yuki Furutate
Related Links
- NSW Explores Collaboration with Japan-Taiwan Cybersecurity Companies
- Semiconductor Industry Research Site "SEMI FREAKS" (Japanese)
- METI Industrial Cybersecurity Study Group — OT Security Guidelines for Semiconductor Device Factories Ver. 1.0 (Japanese)
About KeyXentic Inc.
KeyXentic is an information security company founded in Taiwan in 2017. It provides end-to-end capabilities from the design to manufacturing of both hardware and software. All products and services are Made in Taiwan, ensuring reliable and trustworthy quality. Its FIDO-compliant, passwordless multi-factor authentication platform is used by many organizations across defense, financial, and manufacturing sectors as a service that delivers both enhanced security and high usability for administrators and users alike.
About Net Peace Inc.
Founded in Japan in 2024 with the mission of "Safety for all," Net Peace was established in response to the increasing cyber threats brought about by the widespread adoption of the internet — threats that now cross borders and expose people and assets worldwide to attack, making cybersecurity an urgent priority globally. Leveraging its strengths in technology partnerships with companies around the world, Net Peace contributes to a safer world by deploying diverse information security services across international markets.
About NSW Inc.
Founded in 1966, NSW provides one-stop solutions spanning industry-specific system integration for manufacturing and distribution, IT infrastructure design and operations, and cloud services underpinned by its proprietary data centers. The company also handles embedded system development and LSI/board design for the automotive and communications/facilities sectors. Building on this expertise, NSW is creating new value in areas such as IoT, AI, and edge computing, and driving business co-creation with clients as their DX partner — enabling the sustainable growth of both society and enterprise through digital transformation. For more information, visit https://www.nsw.co.jp/.
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