| Embedded Security: Down to the Silicon |
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| Jul 01 2007 | |
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advertisement: Embedded applications are increasingly going online. With the introduction of new embedded technologies that utilize a wide variety of communications options from Ethernet to Wi-Fi and ZigBee, there is a pressing need to secure these applications against the same problems that are inherent in any networked application. The rub is that a lot of the products that will be used for these applications have limited computing power and, therefore, will have problems running the same cryptographic algorithms as PCs. Even on embedded hardware that does have the resources (such as an embedded Pentium or high-speed ARM), there is an additional security issue that every embedded systems designer will need to contend with — embedded devices are deployed in a wide variety of locations. A PC or server can run in a locked room with security guards, or in a relatively secure office building. Embedded hardware can be found virtually anywhere from the bottom of the ocean into outer space. Securing industrial embedded applications presents a number of unique challenges not found in personal computing or consumer applications (although in the latter case many of the same challenges apply). Defining Embedded SecuritySo what can we do to protect our applications? Well, we first need to understand what constitutes “security” in an embedded application. On a PC, security can be loosely defined as being the protection of sensitive information from malicious individuals who may try to exploit that information. The definition also encompasses the idea of protecting against unwanted and unintended actions, such as sending copious amounts of email or erasing data (think viruses). In an embedded application, both definitions may apply, but often one or the other may be more important. |
