'Self-destruct' chips could help combat a criminal plague that costs businesses billions every year — new technique could mitigate counterfeiting through electromigration
www.techradar.com
If compromised the chips can commit circuit suicide

Researchers presented new techniques to fight sophisticated hacking at a tech conference. Here are the highlights:

Self-destruct chips:

  • A team from Vermont and Marvell created chips with unique fingerprints that can destroy themselves (through increased voltage) if tampered with. This prevents both counterfeiting and unauthorized access to information.
  • Probe detection: Columbia and Intel researchers developed a circuit that detects probes attached to a circuit board, preventing hackers from gaining physical control of a system.
  • Signal Obscuring: Researchers from Texas and Intel created a method to hide a chip’s power and electromagnetic signals, making it harder for attackers to steal information.

These innovations could improve chip security and save businesses billions from chip counterfeiting.

Comments

NGL. After I saw “Self-destruct chips”, I was just overwhelmed by Mission Impossible theme song.

https://youtu.be/PeKW0stTThk

  • ThrowawaySobriquet@lemmy.worldEnglish
    66·
    7 months ago

    Posit: Self-destructing chips to protect infosec and enforce digital sovereignty

    Practice: Self-destructing chips to protect copyright and enforce EULA

  • 4am@lemm.eeEnglish
    20·
    7 months ago

    “Billions lost to counterfeit chips” yeah all those garage fabs cranking out fake 4090s are the REAL problem in the market

    This will be used for enforcing subscriptions on enterprise gear, I promise.

  • stoy@lemmy.zipEnglish
    20·
    7 months ago

    Sooo, efuses?

    If this is implemented it is only a matter of time before it is used by hackers to hold the hardware of a company/government hostage with new ransomwares

    • rottingleaf@lemmy.zipEnglish
      2·
      7 months ago

      Of a permanent DoS, like frying a chip remotely. Things which were urban legends in my childhood are being made reality.

      I don’t think greed’s the problem, it’s necessary for survival of a society. But like many other necessary things it should be contained, and right now it really isn’t.

    • kelvie@lemmy.caEnglish
      1·
      7 months ago

      Still, having this option can’t be a bad thing. Ultimately it’s an engineer (or PM I suppose) that decides to use this chip based on the product requirements.

      Sometimes you want to fail closed, or purposefully fail catastrophically if some constraints aren’t met.

  • Treczoks@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    7 months ago

    There are already self destructing harddisks. They are used in military systems and have a thermite package.