Cybersecurity

Modern encryption and related cryptographic principles are essential to the protection of confidentiality and the integrity of embedded systems that penetrate numerous aspects of our personal and professional lives. With new and evolving threats, it is essential that systems in development provide flexibility/upgradability to address emerging threats. For high security systems, these challenges include regulatory compliance, development time, and cost.

For many industrial applications, security standards like FIPS 140-2 certified encryption (evolving currently to FIPS 140-3) is a regulatory requirement for sensitive data. With regards to embedded solutions, systems must comply with additional requirements to protect the system from unauthorized access when fielded that could prevent proper operation of the cryptography or disclose secrets such as encryption keys. These integrations require detailed understanding of secure software design, embedded processors/System on Chip (SoC), and FIPS security regulations.

Defense applications also have specific challenges requiring protection of sensitive or classified information that must comply with requirements of and be certified by the National Security Agency. As military applications of small, low cost, embedded systems evolve (e.g. unmanned systems/sensors, soldier electronics), they must be able to communicate securely and protect classified data. An additional challenge for these systems is that traditional classified data protection solutions can be impractical for embedded applications with extremely limited Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWaP-C) budgets; thus, requiring innovative technical and policy solutions.