IoT security: On-chip secure deletion scheme using ECC modulation in IoT appliances

Abstract

NAND flash memory-based IoT devices inherently suffer from data retention issues. In IoT security, these retention issues are significant and require a robust solution for secure deletion. Secure deletion methods can be categorized into off-chip and on-chip schemes. Off-chip secure deletion schemes, based on block-level erasure operations, are unable to perform real-time trim operations. Consequently, they are vulnerable to hacking threats. On the other hand, on-chip secure deletion schemes enable real-time trim operations by performing deletion on a page-by-page basis. However, the on-chip scheme introduces a challenge of program disturbance for neighboring page data. The proposed on-chip deletion scheme tackles this problem by utilizing ECC code modulation through a partial program operation. This approach significantly reduces the program disturbance issue associated with neighboring page data. Moreover, the proposed code modulation secure deletion scheme allows for real-time verification of the deletion of original data.