'Self-destruct' chips could help combat a criminal plague that costs businesses billions every year — new technique could mitigate counterfeiting through electromigration
www.techradar.com
If compromised the chips can commit circuit suicide

Researchers presented new techniques to fight sophisticated hacking at a tech conference. Here are the highlights:

Self-destruct chips:

  • A team from Vermont and Marvell created chips with unique fingerprints that can destroy themselves (through increased voltage) if tampered with. This prevents both counterfeiting and unauthorized access to information.
  • Probe detection: Columbia and Intel researchers developed a circuit that detects probes attached to a circuit board, preventing hackers from gaining physical control of a system.
  • Signal Obscuring: Researchers from Texas and Intel created a method to hide a chip’s power and electromagnetic signals, making it harder for attackers to steal information.

These innovations could improve chip security and save businesses billions from chip counterfeiting.

Comments

NGL. After I saw “Self-destruct chips”, I was just overwhelmed by Mission Impossible theme song.

https://youtu.be/PeKW0stTThk

    • kelvie@lemmy.caEnglish
      2·
      9 months ago

      Still, having this option can’t be a bad thing. Ultimately it’s an engineer (or PM I suppose) that decides to use this chip based on the product requirements.

      Sometimes you want to fail closed, or purposefully fail catastrophically if some constraints aren’t met.

    • rottingleafEnglish
      2·
      9 months ago

      Of a permanent DoS, like frying a chip remotely. Things which were urban legends in my childhood are being made reality.

      I don’t think greed’s the problem, it’s necessary for survival of a society. But like many other necessary things it should be contained, and right now it really isn’t.