A secure hardware-software solution based on RISC-V, logic locking and microkernel

Abstract

In this paper we present the first generation of a secure platform developed by following a security-by-design approach. The security of the platform is built on top of two pillars: a secured hardware design flow and a secure microkernel. The hardware design is protected against the insertion of hardware Trojans during the production phase through netlist obfuscation provided by logic locking. The software stack is based on a trustworthy and verified microkernel. Moreover, the system is expected to work in an environment which does not allow physical access to the device. Therefore, on-the-field attacks are only possible via software. We present a solution whose security has been achieved by relying on simple and open hardware and software solutions, namely a RISC-V processor core, open-source peripherals and an seL4--based operating system.