Hardware Security from Coursera

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Syllabus

Digital System Design: Basics and Vulnerabilities

To learn hardware security, we first need to learn how hardware is designed. This week's lectures give an overview of the basics on digital logic design, which is a semester-long course for freshmen and sophomores in most schools. By no means we can cover all the materials. What we provide here is the minimal set that you need to understand about digital design for you to move on to learn hardware security.

Design Intellectual Property Protection

As a hardware designer or a company, you want to protect your design intellectual property (IP) from being misused (by users, competitors, silicon foundry, etc). We will cover how you can build such protection during the design process which can be used as an evidence to support law enforcement protection. You are expected to understand the basic digital logic design knowledge covered in week 1. We will use several NP-hard problems as examples to illustrate the concepts of IP protection. These problems (graph vertex coloring problem and graph partitioning problem) will be introduced in the lecture and you do not need to know the concept of NP-complete.

Physical Attacks and Modular Exponentiation

This week you will learn the fundamentals about physical attacks: what are physical attacks, who are the attackers, what are their motivations, how can they attack your system (from hardware), what kind of skills/tools/equipment they should need to break your system, etc. You will also see what are the available countermeasures. You will learn how system security level and tamper resistance level are defined and some general guidelines on how to make your system secure by design. In the second part, you will learn a useful mathematical operation called modular exponentiation. It is widely used in modern cryptography but it is very computational expensive. You will see how security vulnerability might be introduced during the implementation of this operation and thus make the mathematically sound cryptographic primitives breakable. This will also be important for you to learn side channel attack next week.

Side Channel Attacks and Countermeasures

This week, we focus on side channel attacks (SCA). We will study in-depth the following SCAs: cache attacks, power analysis, timing attacks, scan chain attacks. We will also learn the available countermeasures from software, hardware, and algorithm design.

Hardware Trojan Detection and Trusted IC Design

This week we study hardware Trojan and trusted integrated circuit (IC) design. Hardware Trojans are additions or modifications of the circuit with malicious purposes. It has become one of the most dangerous and challenging threats for trusted ID design. We will give hardware Trojan taxonomies based on different criteria, explain how hardware Trojan work, and then talk about some of the existing approaches to detect them. We define trusted IC as circuit that does exactly what it is asked for, no less and no malicious more. We will illustrate this concept through the design space analysis and we will discuss several practical hardware Trojan prevention methods that can facilitate trust IC design.

Good Practice and Emerging Technologies

This is the last week and we will cover some positive things on hardware security. We start with trust platform module (TPM), followed by physical unclonable functin (PUF), and FPGA-based system design. We conclude with a short discussion on the roles that hardware play in security and trust.

Final Exam

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Strong reputation of Gang Qu, who is a distinguished professor in Hardware Security

Deep dive into the vulnerabilities in current digital system design flow and the physical attacks to these systems

Develops skills for building secure and trusted hardware

Course requires a background in digital logic design

Reviews summary

Well-received hardware security explainer

According to students, "Hardware Security" is a well-received course that gives a thorough introduction to hardware security. Learners say the course is most suitable for those with some background in digital design basics and can be challenging for beginners. Despite this, students gave the course largely favorable ratings, praising its engaging assignments and knowledgeable instructors. The course covers various topics, including hardware vulnerabilities, side-channel attacks, and trusted execution environments. Overall, learners who reviewed the course found it insightful and helpful in understanding hardware security concepts.

Instructors are knowledgeable in hardware security.

"The course content was really appropriate and loved the way of teaching of Professor"

Assignments are engaging and help reinforce learning.

"It gathers and tries to systematize academic approaches for Hardware Security that are often very far away from the practice. Quizzes are boring and check your ability to remember definitions or making modular arithmetic."

Covers a wide range of hardware security topics.

"The course covers a wide range of topics, including hardware vulnerabilities, side-channel attacks, secure boot, and trusted execution environments."

May be challenging for those without background knowledge.

"I have done the 1st week, which was realtive easy for me to understand, since I have learned of boolean logic, and sync logic, and FSMs before, but I doubt that is is easy for a beginner."

"Difficult for anyone who hasn't previously had experience to digital design basics (such as satisfiability don't cares), and truth tables."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Hardware Security with these activities:

Note and Resource Compilation

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Compile a comprehensive collection of notes, assignments, and supplementary materials to stay organized and better retain information

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Review course notes and lectures regularly
Organize notes into a digital or physical filing system
Gather and bookmark relevant online resources and articles

Peer Study and Discussion Groups

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Engage in discussions and study sessions with peers to reinforce your understanding and gain different perspectives

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Form a study group with other students in the course
Meet regularly to discuss course material, solve problems, and share insights
Provide feedback and support to your fellow group members

Online Simulation Exercises

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Engage in interactive online simulations to visualize and understand physical attacks on hardware systems

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Identify online simulation platforms or tools
Select simulations relevant to the course material
Run the simulations and observe the results

Four other activities

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Challenge Questions from Chapter Text

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Practice solving challenges provided in the course text to improve problem-solving skills

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Read the chapter material thoroughly
Attempt the challenge questions on your own
Review your solutions with the provided answer key

Side Channel Attack Exercises

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Work on exercises and problems that involve detecting and mitigating side channel attacks

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Familiarize yourself with different side channel attack techniques
Practice implementing countermeasures to prevent these attacks
Solve problems that simulate real-world side channel attack scenarios

Contribute to Open Hardware Projects

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Get involved in open-source hardware projects to gain practical experience and contribute to the community

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Identify open-source hardware projects related to hardware security
Review the project documentation and code
Make contributions to the project, such as bug fixes or feature enhancements

Hardware Security Design Project

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Design and implement a hardware system with security features to demonstrate your understanding of the course concepts

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Define the project scope and requirements
Design the hardware architecture and implement security mechanisms
Simulate and test the system to verify its functionality and security
Write a detailed report summarizing your project

Career center

Learners who complete Hardware Security will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Hardware Security Architect

Hardware Security Architects ensure security measures are built into the hardware of electronic devices, protecting them from vulnerabilities and potential attacks. This course provides valuable insights into hardware vulnerabilities and teaches design techniques to mitigate them. By gaining expertise in digital system design, design intellectual property protection, and side channel attacks, graduates will be well-equipped to design secure and robust electronic systems.

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Hardware Security Analyst

Hardware Security Analysts identify vulnerabilities in hardware and develop countermeasures to protect against cyber attacks. This course provides a strong foundation in hardware security, including secure digital design, physical attack detection, and side channel analysis. By mastering these concepts, graduates will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to analyze and assess the security of hardware systems effectively.

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Security Engineer

Security Engineers design, implement, and maintain security measures to protect organizations from cyber threats. This course complements their expertise by providing in-depth knowledge of hardware security, enabling them to understand hardware vulnerabilities and develop robust security solutions. Graduates will gain skills in threat analysis, risk management, and incident response, making them valuable assets in the field of cybersecurity.

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Hardware Design Engineer

Hardware Design Engineers design and develop electronic hardware systems, ensuring their functionality and performance. This course provides essential knowledge on hardware security, helping them create secure and reliable systems. By understanding vulnerabilities and countermeasures, graduates will be able to incorporate security measures into their designs, reducing the risk of hardware-based attacks.

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Cybersecurity Engineer

Cybersecurity Engineers protect computer networks and systems from unauthorized access and attacks. This course broadens their understanding of hardware security, complementing their knowledge of network and software security. By gaining expertise in physical attacks and side channel analysis, graduates will be able to assess and mitigate hardware-related vulnerabilities, enhancing the overall security posture of organizations.

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Cryptographic Engineer

Cryptographic Engineers design and implement cryptographic algorithms and protocols for secure communication and data protection. This course provides a solid foundation in hardware security, enabling them to understand the hardware implications of cryptographic operations. By gaining knowledge of physical attacks and side channel analysis, graduates will be able to develop robust and secure cryptographic solutions.

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Computer Hardware Engineer

Computer Hardware Engineers design, develop, and maintain computer hardware components and systems. This course enhances their knowledge of hardware security, helping them create secure and reliable computing systems. By understanding hardware vulnerabilities and countermeasures, graduates will be able to integrate security measures into their designs, mitigating the risk of hardware-based attacks.

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Computer Security Analyst

Computer Security Analysts assess and mitigate security risks for computer systems and networks. This course supplements their knowledge by providing insights into hardware security vulnerabilities and countermeasures. By understanding physical attacks and side channel analysis, graduates will be able to identify and address hardware-related threats, enhancing the overall security of IT systems.

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Network Security Engineer

Network Security Engineers design, implement, and maintain network security systems and protocols. This course provides a complementary understanding of hardware security, enabling them to secure networks from hardware-based attacks. By gaining knowledge of physical attacks and side channel analysis, graduates will be able to assess and mitigate vulnerabilities in network infrastructure, improving the security of enterprise networks.

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Embedded Systems Engineer

Embedded Systems Engineers design and develop embedded systems for various applications. This course offers valuable insights into hardware security, enabling them to create secure and dependable embedded systems. By understanding hardware vulnerabilities and countermeasures, graduates will be able to integrate security measures into their designs, protecting embedded systems from potential threats.

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Data Scientist

Data Scientists analyze and interpret data to extract valuable insights and make informed decisions. While this course does not directly relate to data science, it may provide a foundation for understanding the security implications of data processing and storage. By gaining knowledge of hardware security vulnerabilities, graduates will be able to contribute to the development of secure data analytics solutions.

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Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software applications and systems. This course may be indirectly beneficial by providing an understanding of hardware security considerations that impact software development. By gaining knowledge of hardware vulnerabilities and side channel analysis, graduates will be able to develop more secure and robust software applications.

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Information Security Analyst

Information Security Analysts plan and implement security measures to protect information assets from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. This course complements their knowledge by providing insights into hardware security vulnerabilities and countermeasures. By understanding physical attacks and side channel analysis, graduates will be able to identify and address hardware-related threats, enhancing the overall security of information systems.

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Forensic Analyst

Forensic Analysts investigate computer systems and networks to collect and analyze evidence for legal purposes. This course may provide a foundation for understanding the security implications of hardware design and operation. By gaining knowledge of hardware vulnerabilities and countermeasures, graduates will be able to conduct more thorough investigations and provide expert testimony on hardware-related incidents.

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Auditor

Auditors examine financial records and other documents to ensure accuracy and compliance with regulations. While this course may not be directly relevant to auditing, it may provide a foundational understanding of security risks and controls. By gaining knowledge of hardware security vulnerabilities, graduates may be able to contribute to the development of more effective audit procedures.

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