Advancing Hardware Security Using Polymorphic and Stochastic Spin-Hall Effect Devices

Protecting intellectual property (IP) in electronic circuits has become a serious challenge in recent years. Logic locking/encryption and layout camouflaging are two prominent techniques for IP protection. Most existing approaches, however, particularly those focused on CMOS integration, incur excessive design overheads resulting from their need for additional circuit structures or device-level modifications. This work leverages the innate polymorphism of an emerging spin-based device, called the giant spin-Hall effect (GSHE) switch, to simultaneously enable locking and camouflaging within a single instance. Using the GSHE switch, we propose a powerful primitive that enables cloaking all the 16 Boolean functions possible for two inputs. We conduct a comprehensive study using state-of-the-art Boolean satisfiability (SAT) attacks to demonstrate the superior resilience of the proposed primitive in comparison to several others in the literature. While we tailor the primitive for deterministic computation, it can readily support stochastic computation; we argue that stochastic behavior can break most, if not all, existing SAT attacks. Finally, we discuss the resilience of the primitive against various side-channel attacks as well as invasive monitoring at runtime, which are arguably even more concerning threats than SAT attacks.Comment: Published in Proc. Design, Automation and Test in Europe (DATE) 201

Inverse Geometry for Stereolithographic Manufacturing

As parts produced by stereolithography form and cure, they warp and shrink to produce Pitrts that are not quite the san~ ~ as those originally specified. This research attempts to solve the inverse geomptry problem, that is, what shape should be specified initially so that the she pe produced is the desired one. Assuming that 'the process is repeatable, we ~neasure the difference between the ideal and actua). part dimensions. A finite-element based model is built which mirrors the distortion from the ideal geometry. A "pre-deformed" geometry is then built so that it deforms to the ideal geometry under the conditions imposed on the finite element model. This pre-warped geometry is the geometry we seek.Mechanical Engineerin

The Impact of Global Outsourcing on IT Providers

This article examines the impact of Global IT Outsourcing on Information Technology (IT) firms from the off-shore sourcing perspective. IT Providers are defined in this article as companies that produce IT as opposed to companies that consume IT. To assess the impact of outsourcing on such companies, this article presents an Enterprise Architecture (EA) view of IT and uses it as the framework to determine the impact of outsourcing. The three dimensions of Enterprise Architecture include people, process and product and/or services. The article argues that if the sourcing decisions are based purely on short term goals such as cost, then the long term viability of the IT firm may be compromised. Lack of an IT development model and lack of IT metrics makes it difficult for IT Providers to truly plan and manage the off-shore resources. This article suggests that shorter development cycles, requirements volatility, and the need for constant developer-user interaction makes off-shore outsourcing more difficult. To address these challenges, organizations should develop metrics and governance practices based on experience. This article also proposes that the type of product or service is critical in addressing the decision to outsource. The higher the intellectual (or proprietary) content, the higher is the risk when outsourcing. This article presents two simple frameworks, one for assessing the benefits and risk of outsourcing for IT infrastructure services and the other for IT applications. IT Providers are advised to pay particular attention to the life cycle model of off-shoring where early gains give way to a learning and adjustment phase. If the IT firm successfully develops a rich experience base and adjusts the off shore model, then sustained benefits can be realized

Use of hydrous titanium dioxide as potential sorbent for the removal of manganese from water

This research article deals with an electrosynthesis of hydrous titanium dioxide by anodic dissolution of titanium sacrificial anodes and their application for the adsorption of manganese from aqueous solution. Titanium sheet was used as the sacrificial anode and galvanized iron sheet was used as the cathode. The optimization of different experimental parameters like initial ion concentration, current density, pH, temperature, etc., on the removal efficiency of manganese was carried out. The maximum removal efficiency of 97.55 % was achieved at a current density of 0.08 A dm-2 and pH of 7.0. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Redlich Peterson isotherm models were applied to describe the equilibrium isotherms and the isotherm constants were determined. The adsorption of manganese preferably followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The adsorption kinetics was modelled by first- and second- order rate models and the adsorption kinetic studies showed that the adsorption of manganese was best described using the second-order kinetic model. Thermodynamic parameters indicate that the adsorption of manganese on hydrous titanium dioxide was feasible, spontaneous and exothermic

PRIVATON - Privacy Preserving Automaton for Proof of Computations

Amid the landscape of confidential computing, where security and privacy reign supreme, PRIVATON emerges as a pioneering and practical solution to safeguard sensitive data and computations. A verifiable proof of computation model, with one of its variant built upon the dual sandbox strategy, PRIVATON combines Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) technologies with WebAssembly (WASM) runtime environments to establish an ecosystem for privacy-preserving computations. This approach involves fine grained modeling of computations as finite state automatons, guided by verifiable proofs that attest to their unerring execution. PRIVATON is guided by the profound principles of least privilege and intentional use. Through the former, each computation module\u27s privileges are meticulously constrained, reducing vulnerability vectors. The latter ensures that privileges are allocated explicitly, fostering comprehension and security. This rigorous adherence minimizes privilege misuse and information leakage, bolstering the overall security posture. At its core, PRIVATON\u27s innovation lies in its comprehensive assurance of data privacy and security. State machine proofs not only attest to the absence of data leakage but also prevent unauthorized data transmission. By providing unassailable proof of computation integrity, PRIVATON shields against code misuse within the system. This proactive stance fortifies its mission to safeguard the sanctity of data, computations, and the privacy of all stakeholders. Evidenced by its real-world application, PRIVATON has been validated within the cryptocurrency trading ecosystem, where it acts as a distributed and privacy-preserving credit oracle. Its implementation within Credora’s landscape underlines its potential to transform data-centric paradigms, empowering stakeholders with an unshakeable confidence in data security. In a world where data privacy is paramount, PRIVATON stands as a guardian, epitomizing the convergence of technology, security, and trust

Software Tool Evaluation Methodology

The recent development of parallel and distributed computing software has introduced a variety of software tools that support several programming paradigms and languages. This variety of tools makes the selection of the best tool to run a given class of applications on a parallel or distributed system a non-trivial task that requires some investigation. We expect tool evaluation to receive more attention as the deployment and usage of distributed systems increases. In this paper, we present a multi-level evaluation methodology for parallel/distributed tools in which tools are evaluated from different perspectives. We apply our evaluation methodology to three message passing tools viz Express, p4, and PVM. The approach covers several important distributed systems platforms consisting of different computers (e.g., IBM-SP1, Alpha cluster, SUN workstations) interconnected by different types of networks (e.g., Ethernet, FDDI, ATM)