Bio-Nanoelectronic based Logic Locking for Secure Systems [BioNanoLock]

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Rainer Leupers, Ph.D., since 12/2022; Dr. Vivek Pachauri
• Subject Area: Security and Dependability, Operating-, Communication- and Distributed Systems ; Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering ; Microsystems
• Term: from 2020 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 440055779

The new age processor is going to require hardware-oriented solutions as a primary design criterion for the security against threats. Alternative computational architectures proposed in recent years drive this idea by the inclusion of multi-value logic operations. The realization of multi-value logic gates and testing the advantages of polymorphic inputs and outputs of a circuit, however, remains elusive due to the technology gap. In this proposal, we put forward a new logic-locking framework that will allow us incorporating multi-value and multi-layer logic with existing CMOS based logic-locking architectures. An encoded DNA sequence acts as a secret ‘biological activation-key’ which is molecularly recognized at a unique and secret pattern of key-gates called biological key-gates and activates them. This, in turn, enables the CMOS based key-gates in logic-locked circuit with the appropriate key value. Different voltage-levels in the multi-valued logic define “on” or “off” state of the key-gates adding another level of ambiguity for an attacker and making it impossible to unlock the circuit. Enabling future-generation processors with such BioNanoLock is the prime target of the project with small (10-100 logic gates) to medium-sized (100-10000 logic gates) circuits as an intermediate goal. We also envision developing heterogeneous integrated systems for secure information processing in the long-term.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 2253: Nano Security: From Nano-Electronics to Secure Systems
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Farhad Amirali Merchant, until 12/2022