Active Watermarking for Hardware IP Core Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing watermarking techniques for hardware IP cores in integrated circuits are vulnerable to security threats such as IP piracy and counterfeiting, as they rely on manual verification and passive signatures that can be easily compromised, allowing unauthorized use and theft.
Innovation Solution
Implement adaptive and design-agnostic active watermarking that utilizes challenge-response pairs between circuit peripherals for automated verification, ensuring the watermark remains functional only when the IP is correctly integrated, and disabling functionality if verification fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual verification is used for watermarking, then verification simplicity is maintained, but security vulnerability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-verification through automated challenge-response protocols where the watermarked IP core itself responds to verification challenges without requiring manual intervention. The peripheral components automatically generate responses based on the watermark, allowing the system to verify its own authenticity and detect piracy autonomously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical verification processes with automated electronic verification mechanisms. Instead of human operators manually checking watermarks, the system uses electronic challenge-response protocols that automatically verify the integrity of the watermarked IP core through programmed verification logic.
2Ease of manufacture
If passive signatures are used for watermarking, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but resistance to IP piracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static passive signatures to dynamic active watermarking that responds to verification challenges in real-time. The watermarking mechanism actively engages with verification requests through challenge-response protocols, adapting its behavior based on the verification context and maintaining functionality only when properly integrated.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the watermarked IP core receives verification challenges and provides responses that confirm its authenticity. The system continuously monitors and responds to verification requests, providing feedback that confirms legitimate integration while detecting attempts at piracy or unauthorized use.
3Reliability
If automated verification is implemented, then security against IP theft is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The verification system is designed to be universally applicable across different IP core types and integration scenarios. The challenge-response protocol works with various peripheral components and integration methods, providing a single unified verification mechanism that handles multiple verification scenarios without requiring separate complex systems for each case.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary verification components that facilitate the automated verification process. These intermediary elements act as mediators between the watermarked IP core and the verification system, simplifying the overall architecture by providing standardized interfaces and protocols that reduce the complexity of direct verification interactions.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide adaptive and design-agnostic active watermarking for authentication of a circuit. In one example, an embodiment provides for transmitting a challenge prompt to respective peripherals of an integrated circuit, receiving a peripheral response from the respective peripherals in response to the challenge prompt, and authenticating one or more functionalities of the integrated circuit based on the peripheral response from the respective peripherals.