Planning IUCRC University of Virginia: Center for Hardware and Embedded System Security and Trust (CHEST)

University Of Virginia Main Campus, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

Integrated circuit and embedded hardware devices are critical to most modern military and industrial systems for defense, energy, healthcare, banking, communication, transportation, and other sectors. These devices are more vulnerable than ever to malicious tampering by untrusted entities, with threats over a broad range of attack vectors. Malicious functionality can be added to the devices during the design process, fabrication, or assembly, leading to compromised systems, often without detection. This collaborative effort seeks to further the national defense by developing novel methodologies and technologies that enhance trust and security of these devices and their respective systems. The research goal is to understand the risk and resilience of systems with embedded devices through innovations to methodologies of data analytics and systems engineering. Initial research topics include: Resource allocation to the security of critical devices in large-scale systems, tracking emergent and future conditions of the device supply chain, and system resilience to attacks on networks of interconnected devices. The research identifies factors that influence risk and resilience in the lifecycles and supply chains of the devices, develops the associated performance metrics and models, and identifies the key scenarios and extreme events. The to-be-planned Center is expected to influence the design and operation of industrial and military systems, focusing on the security vulnerabilities associated with embedded devices. The ability of systems with embedded devices to absorb disruptive shocks and recover with minimal loss of service is critical to missions, resources, personnel safety, etc. The dissemination of these results improves the resilience of these systems to a variety of emergent and future conditions including technologies, environments, operator behaviors, evolutions of requirements, resource availability, suppliers, etc., and develops recommendations for industry, military, and government stakeholders. The collaborative group for the Industry-University Cooperative Research Center for Hardware and Embedded System Security and Trust is composed of George Mason University, Northeastern University, University of Connecticut, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Virginia, and Wright State University. The collaborators host a website at https://www.vdl.afrl.af.mil/programs/PG_CHEST_IUCRC with meeting materials, program information, publications, etc. The website is made available indefinitely or until the Center transitions to the next phase.