Building End-to-End Security into the Semiconductor Chip Lifecycle
Amida Technology Solutions, Inc. (Amida), a software services company that solves the most complex challenges in data interoperability, data exchange, data governance, and data security, unveiled today its new Microelectronics Security business division. This new unit, which will be led by Margaret Schmitt, draws on the company’s expertise in semiconductors, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. Its purpose is to deliver a full suite of security solutions that spans the entire semiconductor lifecycle, from inception to system-wide deployment, ensuring unparalleled protection at every stage of development.
The security of essential microelectronics faces increased threats, highlighting an ongoing arms race between attackers who target infrastructure vulnerabilities and defenders who protect these critical systems. Responding to the urgent need for security measures to identify and mitigate semiconductor vulnerabilities prior to fabrication, Amida has pioneered a groundbreaking microelectronics security solution, Achilles. Achilles identifies where problems are likely to occur, what they entail, and how to surveil and isolate them. Achilles analysis uses advanced graph transform techniques in early design stages to reveal hidden vulnerabilities that elude conventional detection methods. Achilles’s novel topological representation illuminates more of the attack surface and suggests where and how to harden the device against cyber threats.
“Our commitment to innovation and security is at the forefront of this strategic expansion,” said Amida’s co-founder and CEO Peter L. Levin. “The creation of the Microelectronics Security business unit underscores our dedication to advancing cybersecurity measures that keep pace with the rapid advancements and increasing complexities of digital threats. We are excited to be launching a new business unit fully dedicated to developing and commercializing our semiconductor cybersecurity technology,” Levin said. “By investing in a focused business unit for this technology, we can accelerate innovation, expand our offerings, and get this vital security capability into the hands of more customers in critical sectors like defense, aerospace, healthcare, and energy.”
Amida pioneered Achilles under the auspices of a Navy Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) grant, leveraging patented innovations and a dedicated R&D team to enhance the security of microelectronics components essential to both national security and safety-critical systems. In March 2023, Amida and leaders from both industry and government co-signed an open letter to the White House CHIPS Implementation Steering Committee, which called for a focus on device security, especially for defense applications.
“There are increasing standards and regulatory momentum around hardware assurance and security in critical infrastructure,” said Schmitt, the newly appointed General Manager for Microelectronics Security. “Chip security starts with design. Achilles identifies vulnerabilities by imitating the techniques and processes that bad actors use to manipulate devices. In this way, we can determine what kind of attacks are likely, how they will manifest, how they will impact device operations, and what can be done to prevent them.”
Amida’s unveiling of Achilles comes at a crucial juncture marked by an increasing demand and need for such capabilities, particularly within the Department of Defense. With Amida holding five patents on this groundbreaking technology, Achilles is poised to meet the escalating need for robust microelectronics solutions, safeguarding critical systems from current and emerging threats and vulnerabilities. “In a world increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure, microelectronics security is the last bastion of cyber-defense,” said Joe Costello, co-founder of Cadence and Amida board director. “Hardware is an expansive attack surface and is increasingly susceptible to malicious inclusions and in-field attacks. Unlike software, hardware cannot be easily patched, so it is essential to mitigate them before they happen and isolate them when they do.”
Achilles protects devices against both (concealed) vulnerabilities and future exploits and will ultimately provide continuous monitoring throughout a device’s lifecycle. Achilles seamlessly integrates into both the semiconductor-device development flow and the board-level programmable-device design flow, and it is compatible with all major EDA design tool chains.
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