Hardware security
Discipline safeguarding hardware through design, keys, and supply chain.
Last updated
Hardware security is a discipline originating from cryptographic engineering that involves hardware design, access control, secure multi-party computation, secure key storage, ensuring code authenticity, and measures to ensure a secure supply chain. It is notable for addressing security at the physical device level, distinct from software-based approaches.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- cryptographic engineering
- Key difference claimed
- implemented using non-Turing-machine logic (raw combinatorial logic or simple state machines)
- Example approach
- hardsec using FPGAs
- Related concepts
- hardware backdoors
- hardware Trojans
- physical unclonable functions (PUFs)
Facts from the source article.
Background
Hardware security emerged from cryptographic engineering and encompasses hardware design, access control, secure multi-party computation, secure key storage, code authenticity, and supply chain security. Some providers argue its key difference from software security is implementation via non-Turing-machine logic, such as raw combinatorial logic or simple state machines. One approach, called 'hardsec', uses FPGAs to combine hardware security with software flexibility.
Related concepts include hardware backdoors and hardware Trojans—malicious modifications of electronic systems, particularly in integrated circuits. Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) are physical entities easy to evaluate but hard to predict; they are typically implemented in integrated circuits for high-security applications, though some PUFs are clonable and most are noisy, making them imperfect functions.
Many attacks on sensitive data and resources reported by organizations occur from within the organization itself, highlighting the relevance of hardware security in internal threat contexts.
More in PC Hardware
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Hardware security (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced