Hardware security is a type of security that protects the machine and peripheral hardware from harm.
Hardware security also uses a dedicated IC (Integrated Circuit), specially designed to provide cryptographic functions and protect against attacks. It provides immunity from inherent vulnerabilities and security holes of the used OS.
In general, hardware-based security takes a multidimensional approach to not only complement software-based security but also add efficiency to implementing and managing protections to your computing infrastructure.
Hardware security assurance requires high firmware visibility and resilience, resulting in the confidence that workloads are running on trustworthy platforms.
According to cybersecurity professionals, an emerging area of vulnerability is the code in device firmware that runs at startup to prepare the operating system launch.
Hackers are looking for ways to inject malware into this code beneath the operating system, which by default never required security and integrity checks designed into its sequence. As a result, the operating system will trust this code even when it contains a nefarious malware payload.
Tampering is another way a malware intrusion under the operating system can occur anywhere in the manufacture to delivery process. Physical attacks are getting easier and becoming more concerning for IT teams.
To help mitigate this threat, a modern PC platform that can integrate hardware-enhanced security that starts at the assembly line & integrates operating system security that starts right out of box is necessary.
In addition to manufacturers ensuring the authenticity of certified device components, golden measurements of firmware code are taken before the firmware is sealed, before transport and delivery.
This approach enables IT to determine whether the newly received device has been tampered with before the first time it is turned on.
Want to learn more? Tonex offers Hardware Security Training, a 2-day course that introduces participants to a variety of cryptographic processor and processing overhead, side-channel attacks, physically unclonable functions, hardware-based true random number generator, watermarking of IPS, FPGA security, passive and active metering and hardware based secure program execution.
If you are an IT professional who specializes in systems, you will benefit from the presentations, examples, case studies, discussions, and individual activities upon the completion of hardware security training that will prepare yourself for your career.
Additionally, Tonex offers nearly three dozen more courses in Cybersecurity Foundation. This includes cutting edge courses like:
—Cybersecurity Fundamentals (2 days)
—Electric Grid Cybersecurity Master Certification (4 weeks)
—Network Security Training (2 days)
—Software Security Training (2 days)
—ICS Cybersecurity Training (4 days)
For more information, questions, comments, contact us.