Design Security

Security is a complex topic that covers multiple technical disciplines and areas of focus based on the threats a customer is trying to protect against, the sophistication of the adversary they are concerned about, and the environment the end product is deployed in. The Venn diagram below shows the different disciplines that encompass the term "Platform Security" and which Xilinx invests heavily in.

Assurance: Focuses on the known pedigree and heritage of the system solution provided by Xilinx. Silicon, software, firmware and soft-IP must be "Trojan-free". Supply chain security and risk management are key focus areas.

Information Assurance (IA): Information Assurance is focused on protecting the information, or data, the device is handling or processing. This is done through standard cryptographic techniques (e.g. authentication and encryption) as well as fault tolerant design methods. Fault tolerant design methods ensure that security is not compromised in the face of a fault.

Cybersecurity: While Information Assurance assures all information in all forms of media, Cybersecurity is focused on the protection of information in the cyber domain. This effectively makes Cybersecurity a subset of Information Assurance in most applications.

Anti-Tamper (AT): Focused on protecting the customers’ intellectual property (IP) that is deployed in their product and contained within the device either as hardware or software. Our customers invest heavily in their products, and Xilinx devices must protect those investments from cloning, reverse engineering or other types of attacks that can extract the IP resident in Xilinx devices.

As the Venn diagram accurately reflects, there are areas of uniqueness as well as significant areas of overlap between the disciplines. Looking holistically across all disciplines provides the best Defense in Depth approach.

Security must be considered throughout the entire product lifecycle in order to maximize the protection of a system. As an example, developing fault tolerant application level security solutions deployed on a device that does not boot securely, is like building a mansion on a foundation of sand. As can be seen from the pyramid, Xilinx and their customers have a shared responsibility to ensure the security of a system. It is also important to recognize that no system is completely immune to attack - with enough time, energy, resources and money, any system can be compromised. Security is all about managing risk, and how much investment a customer wants to make to manage that risk.

Xilinx employs world-class best practices to establish the trustworthiness of its Silicon, Software and Development Tools. An array of countermeasures are integrated into Silicon which aid in protecting against a myriad of attack vectors. The secure boot, or configuration, of our products employ a Hardware Root of Trust with Authenticity, Confidentiality, and Integrity built in.

The device, after booting securely, must maintain the security that has been established. Run-time protections are a shared responsibility between Xilinx, the customer, and the rich Xilinx ecosystem.

The base of the pyramid is established to ultimately protect the customer’s end application.