"The Security System of the Future – Electronic Devices Could Use 'Logic Locks' To Fend Off Malicious Attacks"
Future electronic products may incorporate enhanced security mechanisms into their circuitry to fight against malicious attacks. Researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have revealed how protective "logic locks" based on the field of spintronics might be placed into the integrated circuits of electronic chips to protect chip security. KAUST's Yehia Massoud notes that the requirement for hardware-based security features reflects the nature of today's electronics production. Electronics businesses typically use big, external, specialized foundries to manufacture their chips, which reduces costs but raises the possibility of supply chain vulnerabilities. An untrusted foundry could unlawfully copy the circuit design for the production of counterfeit chips, or the design could be maliciously modified by the incorporation of "hardware Trojans" that alter its behavior in some way. According to Divyanshu Divyanshu, a Ph.D. student at Massoud's labs, security methods such as logic locking are now widely employed to build confidence in the globalized integrated circuit manufacturing chain. To protect chip security, the group developed an integrated circuit logic lock based on a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ). Logic locking functions like a combination lock, explains Divyanshu. Unless the lock receives the correct "key" combination signal, the circuit's operation is scrambled. The lock's keys are stored in memory that cannot be altered, ensuring hardware security against several threat scenarios. This article continues to discuss the integrated circuit logic lock designed by the KAUST researchers aimed at protecting electronic devices from cyberattacks.