"Hard to Crack Hardware"
In order to help defend against malicious attacks, next-generation electronic devices may include enhanced security systems built directly into their circuitry. According to KAUST researchers, protective "logic locks" based on an advanced branch of electronics known as spintronics could be incorporated into electronic chips' integrated circuits to bolster chip security. Yehia Massoud of KAUST says the need for hardware-based security features reflects the globalized nature of modern electronics manufacturing. Electronics companies typically use large specialized, external foundries to produce their chips, which reduces costs but introduces potential supply chain vulnerabilities. An untrustworthy foundry could illegally copy the circuit design for the production of counterfeit chips, or it could be maliciously modified by the incorporation of "hardware Trojans" into the circuitry that adversely affects its behavior in some way. Security approaches such as logic locking are now widely used to increase confidence in the globalized integrated circuit manufacturing chain, according to Divyanshu, a Ph.D. student in Massoud's labs. To protect chip security, the team created an integrated circuit logic lock based on a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) component. This article continues to discuss advanced electronic components based on spintronic concepts that add more protection to smart devices.