Embedded Systems Security Aspects of secure embedded systems design and implementation

Abstract

Embedded Systems account for a wide range of products and are employed in various heterogeneous domains, including but not limited to: industrial systems (e.g. manufacturing plants), critical environments (e.g. military and avionics) nomadic environments (e.g. personal wearable nodes), private spaces (e.g. residences) and public infrastructures (e.g. airports). These devices often need to access, store, manipulate and/or communicate sensitive or even critical information, making the security of their resources and services an imperative concern in their design. The problem is exacerbated by their resource constraints, their diversified application settings, frequently requiring unattended operation in physically insecure environments and dynamic network formulation, in conjunction with the ever-present need for smaller size and lower production costs. This paper provides an overview of the challenges in Embedded Systems security, pertaining to node hardware and software as well as relevant network protocols and cryptographic algorithms, presents recent advances in the field and identifies opportunities for future research. Keywords-embedded devices; security; denial of service; lightweight cryptography; location privacy; secure routing;