Hardware Security

Hardware Security is a field of cybersecurity focused on protecting physical devices and their underlying hardware components from unauthorized access, tampering, or exploitation. It involves designing, implementing, and verifying security features at the hardware level, such as secure boot, trusted execution environments, and hardware-based encryption, to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of systems. This discipline addresses threats like side-channel attacks, hardware Trojans, and physical tampering that software-based security alone cannot mitigate.

Also known as: Hardware-based Security, Physical Security, Chip Security, Embedded Security, HW Security

Why learn Hardware Security?

Developers should learn Hardware Security when building systems for critical infrastructure, IoT devices, or applications handling sensitive data, as it provides a foundational layer of protection against physical and low-level attacks. It is essential for roles in embedded systems, secure chip design, or cybersecurity engineering, where understanding hardware vulnerabilities and countermeasures is crucial for ensuring system resilience and compliance with security standards like FIPS 140 or Common Criteria.

Learning Resources

• book: Hardware Security: A Hands-On Learning Approach
• course: Coursera: Hardware Security
• docs: OWASP Hardware Security Project
• video: Introduction to Hardware Security and Trust
• docs: NIST Guidelines on Hardware Security