Configuration-based approach to embedded device security

Abstract

Development of embedded devices is a challenging task because of their varying, reactive and real-time nature. Conventionally embedded devices are considered as a part of systems owned by some other entities and operated in a potentially hostile environment. Embedded device development is an extremely complicated problem due to various types of threats and attacks the device subject to, and because the security in embedded devices is commonly provided as an additional feature at the final stages of the development process, or even neglected. In this paper we propose a new configuration model, which facilitates the design of secure and resource consumption efficient embedded devices. The model enables the search for the most effective combinations of security building blocks in terms of consumption of device resources. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.