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The Weakest Link: Microelectronics Security Against Physical Attacks

The Weakest Link: Microelectronics Security Against Physical Attacks

Speaker: Domenic Forte – Gainesivlle, FL, United States
Topic(s): Security and Privacy

Abstract

For the past decade and a half, the hardware security community has expended significant time on threats related to semiconductor globalization. With the passage of the CHIPS Act in the US and similar legislation around the world, untrusted foundries should no longer be considered the weakest link. It is time to refocus efforts towards physical attacks against microelectronics. Physical attacks exist across a wide spectrum – from low-cost/low-reward non-invasive attacks to high-cost/high-reward invasive attacks – and have successfully extracted on-chip assets and broken roots-of-trust in recent years. Some non-invasive attacks have even found success remotely. Further, the threat of semi-invasive attacks, such as optical probing, is growing. Semi-invasive attacks are low in cost like non-invasive attacks but nearly as powerful as invasive attacks.

This lecture reviews this dangerous landscape and discusses emerging approaches that bolster physical security. It is said that “Time is what determines security. With enough time nothing is unhackable.” Hence, more attention will be paid to techniques that quantifiably increase the time and complexity of physical attacks.

About this Lecture

Number of Slides: 30
Duration: 40 minutes
Languages Available: English
Last Updated:

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