28 lines
2.5 KiB
TeX
28 lines
2.5 KiB
TeX
\chapter{Conclusion}
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\newpage
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In this thesis, we propose Inertial Hardware Security Modules (IHSMs), a new approach to physical security that combines
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conventional tamper-sensing meshes with physical movement to bootstrap a highly secure system from low-security,
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off-the-shelf parts. To motivate our research, we show on the German national digital health record system how hardware
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security is hard to achieve in practice. Besides some minor cryptographic oddities, our analysis reveals at least one
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essential specification mistake that negates the hardware security of the system by unnecessarily introducing a poorly
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protected HSM. We provide a deep analyses of two key engineering challenges in IHSM construction, mesh monitoring and
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power transfer. We propose a low-cost TDR-based mesh monitoring system that exceeds the capabilities of previous systems
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from academic or from patent literature. Our system is capable of monitoring large meshes while simultaneously providing
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detailed results. Our TDR-based mesh monitoring system is of independent interest, since it can also be integrated into
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traditional HSM designs. We additionally propose a new, generalized design for high-frequency PCB inductors with low
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parasitic capacitance. Our design provides better bandwidth and lower parasitic capacitance compared to the state of the
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art without increasing implementation cost. We conclude this thesis with two chapters elaborating on two new use cases
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that are made possible by IHSM technology due to its ability to protect large payloads that have high power consumption.
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The research presented in this thesis is aimed at advancing both academic research and applied engineering in hardware
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security. We believe that by publishing our research including its artifacts under open-source licenses, we provide the
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basis for future research in tamper-sensing technology, a field that remains under-served in today's academic landscape.
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Recent history has shown that state-level adversaries are a mounting threat to civil rights organizations, human rights
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lawyers, members of minorities, and many others. While western democracies used to be considered safe havens of human
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rights, today human rights are under attack both from within and from the outside in countries across the globe.
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Publishing IHSM technology as open source, we hope to provide one building block for new computing systems accessible to
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all that are resilient and secure in the face of growing adversity.
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\todo{Go into future applications?}
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