Researchers at the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) have introduced a new technique called ‘self-destruct chips’.
The technology was presented alongside several other innovations aimed at thwarting advanced hacking attacks.
One of the most challenging attacks to defend against is a hacker gaining physical access to a system’s circuit board. If IEEE Spectrum ReportsA probe attack in the right place can not only steal critical information and monitor traffic, but also take control of the entire system. To combat this, a team at Columbia University, including Vivek De, Intel’s director of circuit technology research, developed a circuit that detects the presence of a probe on the circuit board.
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Another attack method involves exploiting side channels such as power and electromagnetic emissions to gain access to sensitive information. To combat this, researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and Intel have developed a method to hide these signals, making it virtually impossible for attackers to access the information.
However, the most revolutionary technology introduced at the conference was the “self-destruct” chip, developed by a team led by Eric Hunt-Schroeder of the University of Vermont, and Marvell Technology. These chips, including CPUs, generate their own unique digital fingerprints or physically unclonable functions (PUFs), ensuring their authenticity.
If compromised, these PUFs can self-destruct using two circuit suicide methods, both involving a voltage increase that leads to electromigration or a rapid time-dependent dielectric breakdown.
This method of self-destruction not only prevents counterfeit chips from entering the market, but also renders the chip useless if compromised. “When you’re done with a part, it’s destroyed in a way that makes it unusable,” Hunt-Schroeder said.
These breakthroughs could save companies billions lost annually to counterfeit chips and lay the foundation for more secure systems in the future.