All programmes > Hardware Security

Hardware Security (B-KUL-H0E85A)

3 ECTSEnglish28 Second termCannot be taken as part of an examination contract
Gierlichs Benedikt
POC Elektrotechniek

Aims

The aim of the course is to learn to design secure and trustworthy hardware.  Hardware security is the root of trust for most digital systems: it is required in main frames, cloud servers, mobile devices as well as sensor nodes and internet-of-thing devices.

Hardware design for security covers both the analysis of weaknesses and attacks as well as countermeasures to protect designs in hardware. Students will study essential hardware roots of trust upon which secure systems can be built. Hardware design, attacks and countermeasures also cover many different abstraction levels from computer architectures down to circuits and transistors.

Previous knowledge

The student should have obtained the credits for the following course:

  • H09J6A Design of digital platforms (or H09I0A Ontwerp van Digitale platformen)

The student should take the following course in parallel or have obtained credits on an equivalent course before:

  • H05D3A Computer architectures (or H05D5A Computerarchitecturen)

If the student has followed equivalent courses, then the permission from the instructor is required.

Order of Enrolment

Mixed prerequisite:
You may only take this course if you comply with the prerequisites. Prerequisites can be strict or flexible, or can imply simultaneity. A degree level can be also be a prerequisite.
Explanation:
STRICT: You may only take this course if you have passed or applied tolerance for the courses for which this condition is set.
FLEXIBLE: You may only take this course if you have previously taken the courses for which this condition is set.
SIMULTANEOUS: You may only take this course if you also take the courses for which this condition is set (or have taken them previously).
DEGREE: You may only take this course if you have obtained this degree level.


(SIMULTANEOUS(H09J6A) OR SIMULTANEOUS(H09I0A)) AND ( SIMULTANEOUS(H05D3A) OR SIMULTANEOUS(H05D5A))

The codes of the course units mentioned above correspond to the following course descriptions:
H09J6A : Design of Digital Platforms
H09I0A : Ontwerp van digitale platformen (No longer offered this academic year)
H05D3A : Computer Architectures
H05D5A : Computerarchitecturen

Is included in these courses of study

Activities

2.41 ects. Hardware Security: Lecture (B-KUL-H0E85a)

2.41 ECTSEnglishFormat: Lecture18 Second term
Gierlichs Benedikt
POC Elektrotechniek

Content

During the lectures, students will learn the different aspects of hardware security. The course topics grouped into the following main parts:

  • Part 1: Introduction: definition of security, trust, trustworthy, trusted computing, etc.
  • Part 2: Attacks on hardware platforms and embedded systems. Attackers will go for the weakest link: how can one identify them, what are the attacker capabilities.
  • Part 3: Design methodology. In general hardware design covers many different abstraction layers. This is applied in the context for design for security.
  • Part 4: Hardware security building blocks. Essential building blocks to support hardware and system security are introduced. Examples are: trusted platform architectures to support software security, building blocks for efficient and secure implementation of cryptographic algorithms, countermeasures against side-channel and fault attacks, hardware roots of trust including true random number generators and Physically Unclonable Functions.
  • Part 5: Applications and recent developments

Course material

Lecture notes, presentation slides, ad-hoc material available through Toledo

0.59 ects. Hardware Security: Exercises and Practica (B-KUL-H0E86a)

0.59 ECTSEnglishFormat: Practical10 Second term
Gierlichs Benedikt
POC Elektrotechniek

Content

Pen and paper exercises as well as computer exercises to practice the different aspects of the course: attacks, countermeasures and building blocks for security.

Course material

Ad-hoc material available on Toledo

Evaluation

Evaluation: Hardware Security (B-KUL-H2E85a)

Type : Partial or continuous assessment with (final) exam during the examination period
Description of evaluation : Written, Report, Presentation
Type of questions : Open questions
Learning material : Course material, Calculator

Explanation


Evaluation of this course consists of two parts. Maximum score is 20 points:

  • One part (4 points) is evaluated with permanent evaluation. This part consists of a presentation of a research paper during the lectures and the collaboration and participation during the exercise sessions. Details about the evaluation will be announced on Toledo.
  • One part (16 points) is evaluated during the examination period. This part is an open-book exam. It is a written exam.