Integrated Circuit Wire Randomization for Invasive Attack Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing integrated circuit protection technologies are inadequate in detecting advanced invasive attacks, which involve dismantling and probing to extract security information, as they lack the necessary performance characteristics such as high flexibility, low power consumption, and small area to effectively counter these sophisticated threats.
Innovation Solution
An integrated circuit apparatus with a signal generation circuit producing random signals and selection signals based on random or pseudo-random numbers, a transmitting circuit selecting and outputting these signals through a plurality of conducting wires, and a receiving circuit detecting invasive attacks by identifying deviations in the signals received through these wires, thereby enhancing detection capabilities while maintaining efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional detection structures are used, then the integrated circuit can detect basic invasive attacks, but it cannot detect advanced invasive attacks and consumes more power
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic signal transmission by randomly selecting conducting wires for each transmission cycle based on selection signals. This dynamic behavior makes the detection system adaptable and unpredictable, enabling it to detect advanced invasive attacks while consuming less power compared to static detection structures that require continuous monitoring of all wires.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the transmission parameters by varying which conducting wires are active in different time cycles. The signal generation circuit produces random signals that determine the transmission pattern, allowing the system to maintain high detection capability with reduced power consumption by not continuously monitoring all wires.
2Measurement precision
If more conducting wires are monitored continuously, then detection precision improves, but area and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamic wire selection where the transmitting circuit randomly selects which conducting wires to activate in each cycle based on selection signals. This dynamic approach maintains high detection precision by ensuring that invasive attacks have a low probability of successfully probing the correct wires, while using fewer wires at any given time, thus reducing the required circuit area.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection function is segmented across multiple conducting wires that are not all active simultaneously. Instead of monitoring all wires continuously, the system divides the monitoring task across different wire subsets in different time cycles, achieving comprehensive coverage with reduced spatial requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fixed signal transmission patterns are used, then system complexity is low, but flexibility and detection of advanced attacks are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic signal transmission patterns where the selecting circuit randomly determines which conducting wires receive signals in each cycle based on selection signals generated from random or pseudo-random numbers. This dynamic behavior provides high flexibility in detecting advanced invasive attacks while maintaining manageable system complexity through systematic randomization rather than complex adaptive algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The signal generation circuit acts as an intermediary that produces random or pseudo-random selection signals to determine the transmission pattern. This intermediary component simplifies the overall system complexity by using straightforward random number generation and selection logic, while still achieving high adaptability and flexibility in detecting various invasive attack methods.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes an integrated circuit and a plurality of conducting wires disposed on the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes: (i) a signal generation circuit, which is configured to generate random signal and selection signal based on random or pseudo-random numbers, (ii) a transmitting circuit configured to select at least one from among the plurality of conducting wires based on the selection signal and to output the random signal through the at least one conducting wire, and (iii) a receiving circuit configured to detect an invasive attack on the integrated circuit based on signal received through the at least one conducting wire.