Cryptographic Modules Provide Critical Security in a Unified and Isolated Hardware Solution
Cryptographic modules offer an all-inclusive cryptography package for customised security needs. This blog deep-dives into the benefits, implementations, and possible use cases of a hardware-based cryptographic module.
Why do we need cryptographic modules?
Securing data and communications, within and between microcontrollers, System on Chip implementations, and other systems, requires a range of cryptographic operations. These services include hash functions for ensuring data integrity, symmetric encryption for encrypting bulk data in transit or at rest, asymmetric encryption for key exchange, signing data and messages, as well as authenticating components, users, and accounts, and finally a source of quality randomness for cryptographic key generation.
Implementing all of these securely and in an optimised manner for a hardware platform requires in-depth skills and understanding of both cryptography and digital design for microcircuits. The various cryptographic services can be implemented, and are typically offered, as distinct IP cores dedicated to a single specified cryptographic algorithm. Additional logic and integration will need to be implemented around these IP cores to facilitate the necessary cryptographic operations and processes required by the surrounding total solution. Complexity of the system increases attack surface and the risk of design flaws and security vulnerabilities.
For these reasons, critical security services are often segregated into a single cryptographic module, behind a unified and well-defined interface for access by the rest of the system. This introduces a cryptographic boundary, which isolates security critical operations from the rest of the system.
Related Semiconductor IP
- AES GCM IP Core
- High Speed Ethernet Quad 10G to 100G PCS
- High Speed Ethernet Gen-2 Quad 100G PCS IP
- High Speed Ethernet 4/2/1-Lane 100G PCS
- High Speed Ethernet 2/4/8-Lane 200G/400G PCS
Related Blogs
- ETAS and Rambus Offer Integrated Software and Hardware Security Solution for Automotive Silicon Designs
- Execute Your Hardware Verification Campaign in the Cloud - a Verification Engineer's Perspective
- Want to Mix and Match Dies in a Single Package? UCIe Can Get You There
- Semidynamics: A Single-Software-Stack, Configurable and Customizable RISC-V Solution
Latest Blogs
- Why Choose Hard IP for Embedded FPGA in Aerospace and Defense Applications
- Migrating the CPU IP Development from MIPS to RISC-V Instruction Set Architecture
- Quintauris: Accelerating RISC-V Innovation for next-gen Hardware
- Say Goodbye to Limits and Hello to Freedom of Scalability in the MIPS P8700
- Why is Hard IP a Better Solution for Embedded FPGA (eFPGA) Technology?