Research and Development Priorities for Security of Embedded Hardware Devices

Abstract

Supply chains for embedded hardware devices are subject to a variety of security threats that are concerning to governments and industry. Such threats include counterfeit parts, cyber-attacks, Trojan attacks, reliance on offshore-manufactured and controlled hardware, software, and rapid increase of network technologies. Addressing these threats is vital to maintain and enhance system trust and security. This article develops a framework to address initiatives and success criteria which accounts for different perspectives of system stakeholders and identify different potential emergent conditions and scenarios which are most and least impactful to the trust and security of the supply chain. The article demonstrates a research and development priorities preferences method that accounts for evolving perspectives of supply chain stakeholders and describing the example application of embedded hardware devices as a system.