Presented at
Black Hat Europe 2020 Virtual,
Dec. 10, 2020, 9 a.m.
(60 minutes).
<p><span style="font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="font-size: 10pt;">In hardware, the status quo is that we may have faith in our wares, but we have no direct, evidence-based reason to trust it. Even the best microscopes can only reveal partial information about the way a chip is constructed, and typically only in a destructive fashion. Trusted fabs are also insufficient, especially considering literal MITM agents such as delivery couriers and customs inspectors.</span><br><br><span style="font-size: 10pt;" data-mce-style="font-size: 10pt;">Ideally, the case to trust a specific instance of hardware should be built on evidence that can be collected using relatively inexpensive tools that an end-user directly operates. This talk will discuss my vision for evidence-based trust in hardware, through the lens of the Precursor platform. Precursor is an FPGA-based, open hardware platform. Critically, the use of an FPGA delays the binding of the CPU core to the hardware, giving users the option to design-in countermeasures and apply patches. This shifts the balance of power, taking us from a situation where users have no choice but to have faith in their hardware, to one where users have some agency to reason about its security properties, as well as having options to defend their turf apropos to their threat model. We will also touch on how Precursor also extends the boundary of evidence-based trust to the input and output attack surfaces.</span></p>
Presenters:
-
Andrew Huang
- Founder, Bunnie Studios
Andrew 'bunnie' Huang is best known for his work hacking the Microsoft Xbox, as well as for his efforts in designing and manufacturing open source hardware, including the chumby (app-playing alarm clock), chibitronics (peel-and-stick electronics for craft), and Novena (DIY laptop). He received his PhD in EE from MIT in 2002. He currently lives in Singapore where he runs a private product design studio, Kosagi, and he actively mentors several startups and students.
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