Information Flow Verification

Abstract

Information flow tracking (IFT) models the movement of data which enables verification of security properties related to integrity and confidentiality. This chapter introduces the basics of hardware information flow analysis and illustrates its use for hardware security verification. The chapter starts by describing information flow models and properties. Then it highlights how information flow analysis is critical to hardware security verification. After that, there is a discussion regarding the differences between trace properties, which are commonly used in hardware functional verification, and information flow properties. This is followed by a description of different information flow verification techniques. The chapter concludes with two case studies demonstrating security verification using information flow properties.