Security as a new dimension in embedded system design

Abstract

The growing number of instances of breaches in information security in the last few years has created a compelling case for efforts towards secure electronic systems. Embedded systems, which will be ubiquitously used to capture, store, manipulate, and access data of a sensitive nature, pose several unique and interesting security challenges. Security has been the subject of intensive research in the areas of cryptography, computing, and networking. However, despite these efforts, security is often mis-construed by designers as the hardware or software implementation of specific cryptographic algorithms and security protocols. In reality, it is an entirely new metric that designers should consider throughout the design process, along with other metrics such as cost, performance, and power.This paper is intended to introduce embedded system designers and design tool developers to the challenges involved in designing secure embedded systems. We attempt to provide a unified and holistic view of embedded system security by first analyzing the typical functional security requirements for embedded systems from an end-user perspective. We then identify the implied challenges for embedded system architects, as well as hardware and software designers (e.g., tamper-resistant embedded system design, processing requirements for security, impact of security on battery life for battery-powered systems, etc.). We also survey solution techniques to address these challenges, drawing from both current practice and emerging research, and identify open research problems that will require innovations in embedded system architecture and design methodologies.

A Secure Communication Framework for ECUs

“…In embedded systems with a software solution, an attacker can extract the executable source code of the device using various methods to reverse engineer cryptographic algorithms and keys [8]…”

Domino: Exploring Mobile Collaborative Software Adaptation

“…Security is a serious problem for any system that uses mobile code which moves between different devices, and it has been an important focus of our own and others' research, e.g. [2], [21], [23], [24]. One particular threat is so called 'sleeper viruses' that act as valid and useful modules for a period of time, become accepted in a community, and then after an incubation period 'turn bad' and start to act as damaging viruses.…”

Hierarchies of keys in secure multicast communications

“…User storage and computation are valuable resources as well, especially for low-end devices that can often be the end-user of multicast communications. In particular, security for embedded systems, like hand-held devices, top set TV, and wireless sensor networks, is an emerging concern [14,36,46]. These systems have severe resource constraints, and even few bits saved by careful design are of extreme importance [23].…”