Implementing Strong Security For AI/ML Accelerators


A number of critical security vulnerabilities affecting high-performance CPUs identified in recent years have rocked the semiconductor industry. These high-profile vulnerabilities inadvertently allowed malicious programs to access sensitive data such as passwords, secret keys and other secure assets. The real-world risks of silicon complexity The above-mentioned vulnerabilities are primaril... » read more

Security Is Key When AI Meets 5G


5G represents a revolution in mobile technology with performance that will rival that of wireline networks. Relative to its 4G predecessor, 5G promises 10X the data rate, 100X the efficiency, and 1000X the capacity, at 1/100th the latency. With 1Gbps speed at 1ms latency, 5G makes it possible to offer a host of real-time applications and services. Real-time is critical, because in parallel t... » read more

Unprotected IoT Devices Threaten Consumer Privacy And Safety


Unprotected IoT devices continue to pose a disturbing threat to both consumer privacy and security. For example, a camera installed in the Memphis bedroom of a young girl was recently hijacked by a hacker who seized control of the device to spy on the 8-year-old, taunt her with music and encourage destructive behavior. Another infamous instance of a camera falling victim to a hacker was reporte... » read more

California’s IoT Law Is A Good Start, But More Needs To Be Done


Passed by former California governor Jerry Brown, cybersecurity law SB-327 went into effect on Jan. 1. This proactive legislation requires manufacturers to equip IoT devices with “reasonable” security features to prevent unauthorized access, modification and data leaks. Specifically, SB-327 requires manufacturers to implement a unique preprogrammed (default) password for each device. Additi... » read more

Bricked IoT Devices Are Casualties Of Lax Semiconductor Security


Earlier this summer, a new strain of destructive malware known as Silex began to spread and effectively brick unprotected IoT devices. Although victims of Silex theoretically can resurrect their IoT devices by manually reinstalling factory firmware, most remain wary of an installation process that is often time consuming and complicated. Moreover, many victims assume their device has suffered a... » read more

Taking A Closer Look At Side Channel Attacks


In last month’s Semiconductor Engineering article, we explored the basics of side channel attacks (SCAs). As we discussed, all cryptographic algorithms are subject to side channel attacks, with vulnerabilities extending across all platforms and form factors. In this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at the two primary categories of side channel attacks: simple power analysis (SPA) and ... » read more

Understanding Side Channel Attacks


Side channel attacks (SCAs) differ considerably from conventional cryptographic attacks. Essentially, side channel attacks – which can be very low-cost and non-invasive – exploit data gathered from side channels. A side channel can be exploited by simply placing an antenna, magnetic probe, or other sensor near a device or system. This allows an attacker to measure power consumption, voltage... » read more

Layered Security Offers Best Embedded Hardware Security


The importance of building a secure and rigid foundation in SoC and system designs has never been so true as it is now, given not only the garden variety of software vulnerabilities existing today, but also micro-architectural attacks on CPUs like Meltdown, Spectre, and Foreshadow. Design engineers should embrace two security-related tenets when selecting a security processor: one is depth o... » read more

Bolstering Security For AI Applications


Hardware accelerators that run sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms have become increasingly prevalent in data centers and endpoint devices. As such, protecting sensitive and lucrative data running on AI hardware from a range of threats is now a priority for many companies. Indeed, a determined attacker can either manipulate or steal training data, inf... » read more

Securing IoT Devices With A Programmable Root Of Trust


The exponential increase of vulnerable IoT devices demands a far more determined and proactive approach to security than is offered by the current industry status quo. This is because compromised IoT devices pose a threat to both consumers and critical internet infrastructure. For example, a compromised security camera or baby video monitor can be easily exploited to violate consumer privacy... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →