Designing for security at the architectural level
The design process for a highly secure computer system must factor in a wide range of security requirements from the very start of the process. All aspects of system design, such as processor selection and printed circuit board characteristics, must be evaluated in the light of how those components may enhance the system’s overall security, or the ways they might degrade security.
In addition to ensuring security at the lowest level of integrated circuits and printed circuit boards, it is also important to apply security design principles in a layered manner. For example, after selecting suitably secure digital components and designing a security-focused circuit layout for a digital device, it may be necessary to design a tamper-resistant case to enclose the circuit board. This case might include embedded wires intended to detect if an attacker attempts to cut or drill holes through the case and thereby gain access to the...
