Reliable and secure embedded cryptographic systems

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Although security is increasingly widespread in many embedded devices such as cellphones, automobiles, satellites, etc, there remain many important challenges. For example, it is unknown how to design failsafe and reliable security for many embedded systems. As feature sizes continue to decrease, the probability of a soft error will increase even in non-harsh environments. Soft errors can be induced unintentionally from chip package radiation (in terrestrial applications) and these can be as devastating as a single event upset induced by radiation bombardment in space (such as in satellite applications). Implications for security failures due to a soft error can be devastating such as the loss of control of a satellite due to soft error in a key, or financial loss due to authentication failure of a valid account, or individual loss due to an authentication failure in an automobile causing brakes to fail. Finally, since design for reliability often involves duplication or triplication of operations, it has an impact on the side channel or unintentional leakage of information from the device. In summary there is a great need to research security design methodologies and techniques for efficient resistance to and recovery from soft errors within cryptographic modules to ensure secure implementations of failsafe and reliable embedded systems. The objectives of this research proposal are to tackle these important topics necessary for current and future secure embedded systems. Unlike previous approaches, this proposed research will take advantage of fine grain functionality within the cryptographic primitives to support optimal soft error detection and for the first time, empirically and theoretically, study the impact of this soft error mitigation on the side channel. Additionally failsafe trusted reset techniques focusing on the use of trusted verifiable components within the design system will be researched. In summary, this research will for the first time establish new design methodologies for secure reliable and failsafe embedded systems crucial for the future of information technology and communications industries.