Collaborative Research: SaTC: CORE: Medium: Security and Robustness for Intermittent Computing Using Cross-Layer Post-CMOS Approaches

This research project is at the forefront of addressing security vulnerabilities in resource-limited, normally-off energy harvesting devices widely utilized across various Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Ranging from wearable devices to remote sensing and industrial systems, the potential impact of securing these devices is significant. The project's novelties are its focus on discovering the inherent vulnerabilities of these devices, including physical attacks, unanticipated power outages and failures, and other unique threats, and proposing effective solutions for them.

Exploiting these vulnerabilities could lead to irreparable damage to property and lives, considering the extensive network of connected devices. The project's broader significance and importance lie in the critical need for comprehensive, lightweight defense strategies, as the existing ones either exhibit high overheads or are incomplete, rendering them unfit for resource-constrained nodes.

The technical approach of this research revolves around the development of Secure Intermittent-Robust Computation (SIRC) for these computing nodes. This is achieved by capitalizing on emerging non-volatile (NV), spin-based devices to construct lightweight reconfigurable logic. The assurance of intermittent-robust computation during various attacks is facilitated by storing intermediate circuit values in NV devices.

Concurrently, the research employs innovative circuit-architecture-algorithm techniques, promising notable advances in the domain of IoT security. This research effectively bridges the gap between the ever-present security threats and the limitations of current defense schemes, marking a significant stride toward the resilient future of IoT applications.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.