Embedded development solution provider Langruizhike learned that ARM recently announced that its ARM Cortex-M35P processor has built-in anti-tampering technology and software isolation functions at the chip level. The technology will bring a level of smart card security to emerging applications such as smart cards, door locks and automotive devices. Security measures will help protect everyday objects in the Internet of Things (IoT) or smart connections. Motherboard customization
The idea is to protect chip-level systems from increasingly common physical attacks on hardware systems. Hackers can use equipment such as electrical and electromagnetic analysis to find out what's going on in chips without this protection -- and put data at risk. As the Internet of Things gains momentum and more devices with high-value data are connected to each other, these physical attacks are even more attractive to hackers.
ARM is concerned about attacks that could result from direct physical contact with or proximity to the chip. Physical attacks are designed to exploit vulnerabilities at the implementation level of the chip, not at the software or design level. These physical attacks fall into two broad categories: invasive attacks, which require (at least) chip decapsulation, and non-invasive attacks - such as close-range side-channel attacks (SCA), which gain information from the chip through unintended side-channel blocking, e.g. , by observing the power consumption of the chip or the emission of electromagnetic fields during cryptographic operations). "
The Cortex-M35P is a high-performance processor that helps embedded security developers prevent physical tampering and enable higher levels of security authentication. It is the first processor in the Cortex-M family to feature design tamper resistance. It also includes ARM TrustZone technology for software isolation, making it easier and faster for designers to embed multi-layer payment or telecom-certified security into the core of any device.
ARM said its two existing security intellectual properties, CryptoCell and CryptoIsland, could use technology to defend against a variety of attacks. As physical attack resistance increases, these solutions can address a wider attack surface, which is required for some IoT applications.