38 lines
3.2 KiB
TeX
38 lines
3.2 KiB
TeX
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\chapter*{Abstract}
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\adjustmtc
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\addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{Abstract}
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%Through advancements in cryptography, nowadays it is feasible to construct networked computer systems that for all
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%intents and purposes cannot be hacked over the network. Correctly applying cryptographic protocols and techniques such
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%as formal verification, it can be ensured that a software implementation is a flawless representation of its theoretical
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%model, and that the theoretical model is secure given universally accepted cryptographic assumptions. Despite
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With cryptographic advancements and techniques like formal verification leading to increasingly secure software, the
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hardware level advances into the focus of contemporary applied computer security research. However, the state of the art
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in hardware security still often relies on the use of microelectronic integration to achieve security by obscurity over
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more fundamental security guarantees. System-level tamper protection is sometimes used, but remains relegated to niche
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applications due to the high cost and low performance of devices like Hardware Security Modules (HSMs).
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In this thesis, Jan Götte introduces the Inertial Hardware Security Module (IHSM), a new architecture for low-cost
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hardware security modules that provide high-level active tamper protection, while supporting computing payloads of much
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larger size, weight and power dissipation compared to conventional HSMs. In an IHSM, the costly and difficult to source
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tamper-sensing mesh of a conventional HSM is replaced by a mesh made from simple PCBs that is rotating at high speed
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around the payload. Since the mesh is rotating, it cannot be manipulated, and the security of conventional meshes
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created in bespoke manufacturing processes can be achieved using much simpler and less expensive construction
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techniques. The thesis presents solutions to key engineering challenges in IHSM construction including a highly
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symmetric planar inductor design for rotating wireless power transfer and a high-fidelity monitoring system for low-cost
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security meshes.
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Applying IHSM technology, the thesis concludes with analyses of two use cases that are unlocked by the increased
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size and power dissipation capability of IHSMs. In the first analysis, an IHSM-secured relay node for Quantum Key
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Distribution (QKD) systems is proposed, enabling their practical implementation across arbitrary distances, which
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requires trusted relay stations due to fundamental physical limitations. In the study, IHSMs are adapted for such
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high-security QKD relays by securing the IHSM mesh passthrough with a secondary tamper-sensing mesh. In this setup, a
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bracket design is proposed that supports passing through optical fibers at low loss.
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The second proposed use case adapts an IHSM enclosure to the size, power and thermal dissiptation requirements of a
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high-power server to support co-located secure Multiparty Computation (MPC) workloads. MPC in practice is limited by
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network bandwidth and latency constraints that cannot be avoided without physically secure nodes. Conventional HSMs
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cannot serve MPC workloads since their cryptographic performance is too low by many orders of magnitude. An IHSM-secured
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MPC node circumvents these limitations, unlocking a new performance spectrum.
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