Aggregation-based obfuscation method for electronic systems design

Abstract

Hardware Trojan attacks relate to malicious modifications of integrated circuits during design or manufacturing, involving untrusted design tools or components. Such modifications can lead to undesired behavior of integrated circuits or the appearance of hidden data leakage channels. There are various methods of classification, detection and prevention of hardware Trojans insertion. One approach to prevent of Trojans insertion is an obfuscation-based design approach. This approach is based on hiding the functional and structural properties of the design, which makes it difficult for an attacker to insert Trojans. The subject matter of research is an aggregation-based obfuscation method for electronic systems design. The goal of the work is to study the process of aggregation-based obfuscation of the electronic systems design. The main idea is that the development and connection phase of the reference monitor is performed in a trusted environment. Thus, an attacker will not be able to obtain its functionality and original structure. The relevance of the work lies in the fact that this approach prevents the possibility of functioning of hardware Trojans. The following tasks were solved in the work: development and study of an aggregation-based obfuscation algorithm for electronic systems design; implementation of the reference monitor presentation as a separate subsystem associated with the main design; experimental evaluation of the possibilities of the method. As a result of the work the aggregation-based obfuscation method for electronic systems design was demonstrated; reference monitor was presented as a separate subsystem associated with the main design; experimental evaluation of the possibilities of the method was demonstrated. The studies allow us to conclude: the obfuscation-based design approach is that the integrated circuit is modified, thus, the functional and structural properties of the design are hidden, which makes it difficult for an attacker to insert Trojans. Aggregation-based obfuscation considers the reference monitor as a separate subsystem associated with the main design.