Volatile FPGA design security { a survey
Saar Drimer · 2008
Volatile FPGAs, the dominant type of programmable logic devices, are used for space, military, automotive, and consumer electronics applications which require them to operate in a wide range of environments. Their continuous growth in both capability and capacity now requires significant resources to be invested in the designs that are created for them. This has brought increased interest in their security attributes; specifically, how well does the FPGA protect the information processed within it, how are FPGA designs protected during distribution, and how developers’ ownership rights are protected while designs from multiple sources are combined. This survey, which assumes very basic logic design and security understanding, establishes the foundations for discussing “FPGA security”, examines a wide range of attacks and defenses along with the current state of industry offerings, and finally, outlines on-going research and latest developments. 1