Chapter 5
Methods of Detecting Hardware Trojans
in Microcircuits
In previous section, we performed a detailed examination of classification of Trojans
in microcircuits, their design principles, functioning mechanisms, and masking
methods. This chapter is dedicated to identification of the most effective means
to identify hardware Trojans in microcircuits.
It is clear that the process of Trojan detection evolution is closely connected to
the evolution of Trojans themselves. Methods of detection that were designed to
identify the first hardware Trojans in microcircuits will be ineffective in most cases
of combating more sophisticated and later modifications of these Trojans. The only
common condition of existence for them is the requirement to pass any production
functional tests without being noticed.
It should be said that the authors faced a difficult moral and ethical paradigm when
making a decision about including materials of this chapter in the book. On the one
hand, microcircuit developers and information security specialists absolutely have
to know and use in practice the latest and most effective methods of identification of
such malware.
Moreover, they need not only to study and master practical methods of such
studies and know the composition of research and testing equipment (it can be found
in publications of multiple studies), but also possess knowledge of specific know-how
in this field. On the other hand, as demonstrated by materials of the previous chapter,
the high level of qualification of modern malicious developers of hardware Trojans,
who also actively study the information about this issue, cannot be underestimated.
It is obvious that during development of new Trojan structures, their creators are
bound to undertake effective measures to protect them from the latest methods of
identification.
As a result, the authors have settled on a compromise—instead of presenting
the results of their own studies of Trojan identification methods in this chapter
and the subsequent chapters, they decided to give a systematic overview of the
main concepts of implementation of these methods based on published works of
the most authoritative specialists in this field recognized by the international expert
community.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
A. Belous and V. Saladukha, Viruses, Hardware and Software Trojans,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47218-4_5
453
Methods of Detecting Hardware Trojans
in Microcircuits
In previous section, we performed a detailed examination of classification of Trojans
in microcircuits, their design principles, functioning mechanisms, and masking
methods. This chapter is dedicated to identification of the most effective means
to identify hardware Trojans in microcircuits.
It is clear that the process of Trojan detection evolution is closely connected to
the evolution of Trojans themselves. Methods of detection that were designed to
identify the first hardware Trojans in microcircuits will be ineffective in most cases
of combating more sophisticated and later modifications of these Trojans. The only
common condition of existence for them is the requirement to pass any production
functional tests without being noticed.
It should be said that the authors faced a difficult moral and ethical paradigm when
making a decision about including materials of this chapter in the book. On the one
hand, microcircuit developers and information security specialists absolutely have
to know and use in practice the latest and most effective methods of identification of
such malware.
Moreover, they need not only to study and master practical methods of such
studies and know the composition of research and testing equipment (it can be found
in publications of multiple studies), but also possess knowledge of specific know-how
in this field. On the other hand, as demonstrated by materials of the previous chapter,
the high level of qualification of modern malicious developers of hardware Trojans,
who also actively study the information about this issue, cannot be underestimated.
It is obvious that during development of new Trojan structures, their creators are
bound to undertake effective measures to protect them from the latest methods of
identification.
As a result, the authors have settled on a compromise—instead of presenting
the results of their own studies of Trojan identification methods in this chapter
and the subsequent chapters, they decided to give a systematic overview of the
main concepts of implementation of these methods based on published works of
the most authoritative specialists in this field recognized by the international expert
community.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
A. Belous and V. Saladukha, Viruses, Hardware and Software Trojans,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47218-4_5
453