Secure architecture for embedded systems

Abstract

Devices connected to the internet are increasingly the targets of deliberate and sophisticated attacks [1]. Embedded system engineers tend to focus on well-defined functional capabilities rather than “obscure” security and resilience. However, “after-the-fact” system hardening could be prohibitively expensive or even impossible. The co-design of security and resilience with functionality has to overcome a major challenge; rarely can the security and resilience requirements be accurately identified when the design begins. This paper describes an embedded system architecture that decouples secure and functional design aspects.