Technology-Independent Silicon Camouflage using Virtual Camouflage Front-End Cells

Abstract

Silicon camouflage, a highly effective obfuscation technique to protect hardware IP from reverse engineering and analysis, is typically implemented in a technology-specific camouflaged cell library and inserted into an ICs gate-level netlist. A new camouflaged IC design flow using virtual camouflage cells enables the detailed specification of silicon camouflage features in a designs technology-independent register transfer level (RTL) models. Using virtual camouflage cells, RTL designers can specify how their hardware IP will utilize camouflaged circuitry while maintaining the models technology independence. This paper introduces the concept of virtual camouflage cells and describes a camouflaged IC design flow that enables camouflage features to be designed in RTL, including the methods by which the technology-independent camouflaged RTL is synthesized to technology-specific cell libraries and implemented at a given technology node.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 25, 2019
Accession Number
AD1076096

Entities

People

  • Bryan J. Wang
  • James P. Baukus
  • Lap W. Chow
  • Ronald P. Cocchi

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Camouflage
  • Circuits
  • Engineering
  • Language
  • Logic
  • Logic Gates
  • Reverse Engineering
  • Specifications
  • Standards
  • Verification
  • Xor Gates

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Integrated Circuit Design and Technology.
  • Software Engineering.
  • Surface Coatings Technology.