CAREER: Toward Power Delivery Network-aware Hardware Security

Electronic computing hardware forms the foundation of our information systems and cyberinfrastructure. The threats to the physical security of computer chips and countermeasures have been widely researched. However, adversaries with physical access to the system can still bypass conventional defenses and threaten the systems’ security. Examples include tampering with the printed circuit board of a computer chip or removing its package to read out secret keys stored on it. Such attacks, originating at various stages of the microelectronics supply chain, cannot be addressed solely by conventional software security protections due to the lack of awareness about the events occurring at the hardware level. This project investigates technologies that can secure electronic computing hardware against sophisticated physical attacks originating at various stages of the microelectronics supply chain. Central to this project is a better understanding of the computing machine's physical layer, i.e., its power delivery network (PDN) and its role in achieving secure and trusted hardware. There are three research thrusts to investigate: (1) Fusing the existing statistical metrics used for the analysis of PDN-based signatures, enabling non-invasive, holistic, golden-free, and root cause-aware tamper detection; (2) Using information-theoretic notions to investigate the strength of PDN-based side-channel attacks (i.e., impedance analysis) and developing countermeasures; (3) Creating the PDN-based sensors and fingerprints to monitor the physical integrity system. Successful outcomes of this project will significantly improve the security of computing hardware. Moreover, this project includes various outreach activities, such as organizing special sessions and tutorials, open-sourcing benchmarks, and exposing high school students to basic circuit concepts and simple electrical diagnosis tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.