Secure boot, encryption and firmware signing protect devices.
Threats: firmware extraction, tampering, side-channel attacks, weak credentials and insecure updates. Defences: secure boot with signed images, hardware crypto, TrustZone, encrypted storage, unique keys, locked debug ports, minimal attack surface and patching.
Secure boot refuses to run firmware not signed by the vendor.
Security in embedded devices protects data, prevents tampering and keeps products safe from attack throughout their life.
Secure boot, encryption and firmware signing protect devices.
Security in embedded devices protects data, prevents tampering and keeps products safe from attack throughout their life.
A process where each stage of boot checks the signature of the next stage, so only trusted code runs.
If firmware is extracted, keys stored in plain form can be read and used to forge or decrypt data, so keys should be protected in hardware.
Typical applications include ensuring a firmware image is signed before a device will run it, encrypting sensor data before it is sent to a server and locking debug ports on a product shipped to customers.
Study "Fixed-point arithmetic" first (topic 91 of 104 in Electronics & Embedded). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
Root of trust. TLS for communication. Secure element chips.
Secure boot refuses to run firmware not signed by the vendor.
The next topic is "Firmware over-the-air updates", which builds directly on this one.
It is classed as Advanced in Electronics & Embedded (topic 92 of 104). It is an advanced topic. It assumes you are comfortable with the intermediate topics in Electronics & Embedded.
Want to practise? Open the interactive course for quick checks, quizzes, simulations and progress tracking.