Securing FPGAs Beyond the Bitstream


FPGAs are a popular solution for low-volume applications and applications where frequent updates are essential to the value of the solution, as in many aerospace and defense and AI applications. Security is a critical part of FPGA solutions, and FPGA providers have invested much effort into securing the bitstream. However, there is a need for a cryptographic solution for FPGAs beyond the bitstr... » read more

Security Threats To Multitenant FPGAs: A Remote Undervolting Attack That Activates A Trojan Concealed Within A Victim Design 


A technical paper titled “X-Attack 2.0: The Risk of Power Wasters and Satisfiability Don’t-Care Hardware Trojans to Shared Cloud FPGAs” was published by researchers at EPFL, Cyber-Defence Campus (Switzerland), and Northwestern Polytechnical University (China). Abstract: "Cloud computing environments increasingly provision field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for their programmability ... » read more

Cybersecurity & FPGA Devices


A technical paper titled "A Survey on FPGA Cybersecurity Design Strategies" is presented by researchers at Université Laval, Canada. Abstract (partial): "This paper presents a critical literature review on the security aspects of field programmable gate array (FPGA) devices. FPGA devices present unique challenges to cybersecurity through their reconfigurable nature. This paper also pays sp... » read more

System Bits: May 5


Fight counterfeiting with fingerprint chips Given that no two human fingerprints are exactly alike, an MIT spinout uses random variations in silicon chips as authentication identifiers for consumer products. Silicon chips are similar as manufacturing processes cause microscopic variations in chips that are unpredictable, permanent, and effectively impossible to clone. MIT spinout Verayo ... » read more