Identification of IP control units by state encoding and side channel verification

• Published in: Microprocessors and microsystems Vol. 47; no. Part A; pp. 11 - 22
• Main Authors: Jung, Edward, Bossuet, Lilian, Choi, Seonho, Marchand, Cédric
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-11-2016; Elsevier
• Subjects: Embedded controller identification; Engineering Sciences; Finite state machines; Intellectual property protection; IP watermarking; Micro and nanotechnologies; Microelectronics; Intellectual property protection; Embedded controller identification; IP watermarking; Finite state machines
• ISSN: 0141-9331; 1872-9436
• DOI: 10.1016/j.micpro.2016.02.019

Synchronous finite state machines (FSMs) are the backbone of an embedded controller design. We propose a non-destructive watermark embedding algorithm and a contactless verification method for protecting the design intellectual property (IP) of an embedded controller modeled as a synchronous FSM. The proposed embedding algorithm does not require adding redundant data such as non-functional states or state transitions. The verification scheme does not require accessing internal states, either. The central ideas are based on embedding and verifying an IP designer's watermark at a FSM-level, as opposed to a state level. The embedding algorithm is polynomial in time and developed by a hierarchical state-encoding scheme, while the verification is performed using side channel analysis. For a set of FSMs, both the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed FSM-level watermarking approach are demonstrated.