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Embedded processing systems are widely used in many devices and systems that are essential for daily life. These embedded systems are increasingly connected to networks for control and data access, which also exposes them to remotely launched malicious attacks. It is of paramount importance to develop embedded processing systems that are hardened to withstand these remote attacks while continuing to operate effectively. Since embedded systems are often used in real-time environments with lightweight operating systems and limited processing and power resources, conventional software solutions for malware detection are not suitable in this domain. Instead, architectural solutions that are specialized to embedded processing systems are necessary.
This project develops a comprehensive attack detection and mitigation system that is based on hardware monitors that are co-located with the embedded processor. The hardware monitor tracks the operation of the processor and compares each executed instruction with a model of the application that was created by analyzing the original binary. Changes in operation caused by an attack can be detected within one cycle, and recovery steps can be taken. The proposed system does not require any changes to the software running on the processor and does not cause any reduction in processing speed. This project aims to realize a transformational shift in embedded system security from software-based defenses to hardware-based defenses. The results from this research address current security shortcomings and provide solutions that make embedded processors more resilient.
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TWC: Small: Hardware Security for Embedded Computing Systems