What is secure electronics design, and how is it done? As digital threats grow, developing secure devices does not begin with software, it starts with the hardware itself.
Think of it like building a house: if the foundation is weak, no high-tech locks or alarm systems will stop intruders from getting in. The same applies to electronics; compromised hardware can undermine all other cyber-security measures. But what does secure electronics design actually mean, why does it matter, and how is it built?
Secure electronics design – what and why?
Secure hardware and electronics are carefully designed and protected from the very beginning, from sourcing components and designing the circuit board to manufacturing and final deployment.
The benefits?
- Digital trust: as cybercrime increases, customers and users can trust your product.
- Business continuity: avoid costly breaches and downtime.
- Regulatory compliance: meet industry standards and avoid legal risks.
- Reputation protection: a single security incident can invalidate years of work.
5 tips for building secure hardware
1. Know your environment and your threats
Is your most likely attacker someone hacking your product for fun? Or perhaps a competitor seeking access to your algorithms and trade secrets? Do regulations dictate security requirements for your system? Define your threat model early and tailor your security strategy to the real risks.
2. Consider the product lifecycle
Even the best design won’t save you if manufacturing or component sourcing is handled poorly. Work with trusted partners and ensure the integrity of the design, the components and the production processes.
3. Secure system design
Where are the features you need to protect located within the device? In internal Flash or RAM, or perhaps in external memory? Can secrets be intercepted by monitoring the memory bus? Use secure elements, encrypted memory, and conceal sensitive signals within the PCB layers.
4. Security layers
If your most valuable asset were a gold bar, you’d store it in a safe. The safe would be in a locked room, which in turn would be in a locked house. The house would be fenced, with motion detectors in the yard and an alarm system inside. Even if someone got past the fence, they would still face multiple layers of protection. In electronics, this means enclosure design, hiding signals on the PCB, tamper detection and even active mechanisms that destroy components holding sensitive data.
5. Don’t leave the door open for unwanted guests
Disable all interfaces that are not needed. Do you really need a debug interface in the production version, or could test points be removed once the electronics have been verified?
By following these tips, you are one step closer to more secure devices.
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