SEED 2024

May 16-17, 2024

 Orlando, Florida

Farimah Farahmandi, University of Florida

Title: Unveiling Security Engine's Time Machine: A Journey Through History and a Look into the Future

Abstract

In today's landscape of increasing complexity of system-on-chip (SoC) designs, security stands as a paramount concern. Ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, access controls, provisioning of critical information within SoCs demands robust security measures. It is necessary to implement a secure and trusted component known as the root-of-trust (RoT), which forms the cornerstone of essential security and trust mechanisms within SoCs. In this keynote address, we embark on a comprehensive exploration of the requirements, components, and challenges involved in the design of a RoT, often referred to as the Security Engine. The Security Engine serves as a bulwark against various threats, both at the manufacturing floor and during in-field operations, safeguarding SoCs against potential vulnerabilities. Furthermore, we delve into the critical aspects of verification and validation of the Security Engine, essential steps in ensuring its efficacy and reliability in real-world scenarios. By covering these key concepts and methodologies, this presentation aims to provide attendees with valuable insights into the landscape of SoC security.

Bio

Dr. Farahmandi is Yangbin Wang Rising Star Endowed Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and the associate director of the Florida Institute for Cybersecurity (FICS) at the University of Florida. Her research interests include hardware security verification, formal methods, and post-silicon validation. Her research has resulted in seven books, nine book chapters, and several publications in premier ACM/IEEE journals and conferences including IEEE Transactions on Computers, IEEE Transactions on CAD, Design Automation Conference (DAC), and Design Automation and Test in Europe (DATE). Her research has been recognized by several awards including NSF CAREER Award, the 2022 Semiconductor Research Corporation Young Faculty Award, the 2022 ECE Research Excellence Award, 2023 ECE Service Excellence Award, and 2024 Execellence Award in College of Engineering at UF. She is also the recipient of four best paper nominations from IEEE/ACM ASP-DAC and IEEE/ACM DATE. She is one of the co-founders of CAD4Sec Workshop. Currently, she is the program chair of IEEE HOST 2024. Her research has been sponsored by NSF, SRC, DARPA, AFRL, DoD, ONR, Analog Devices, ANSYS, Synopsys, and Cisco.