On the surface, building a secure foundation using the concept of randomness seems surprising.
From the perspective of entropy, randomness can protect data, chips, and systems by generating encryption methods. By leveraging the essence of randomness as the foundation of security systems, it becomes possible to enhance the security of computer systems and protect critical information.
In July of this year, SiFive launched the SiFive Shield Hardware Cryptographic Accelerator (HCA) as part of the improvements in the SiFive 20G1 version. The SiFive Shield HCA module consists of the necessary elements to accelerate encryption, thereby securely booting the SoC, protecting communications, and restricting access to debugging interfaces.
We are pleased to share the SiFive HCA IP module with you, which includes a 100% digital true random number generator (TRNG) that has successfully passed the rigorous NIST SP-800-90B standard recommended random bit generator entropy source.
The SiFive HCA TRNG is a fully digital IP module that provides customization options for the entropy source, including customizable entropy rates. SiFive’s selected independent partner, Penumbra Security, Inc. (Penumbra), is an NVLAP-accredited laboratory under the NIST Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) for cryptographic and security testing.
Fortunately, Penumbra asserts that SiFive’s custom entropy rate method is effective, demonstrating that the target entropy rate is between 64.9% entropy and 92.4% entropy, and the predicted entropy rate is consistent with the actual entropy rate. Once integrated, the TRNG can be evaluated and certified against the NIST SP-800-90C standard, as the additional tuning operations of SP-800-90A can utilize the existing results of SiFive’s hardware SHA/AES through the SiFive software library.
The SiFive HCA module can be added to SiFive RISC-V processor cores along with other SiFive Shield components, such as SiFive WorldGuard. SiFive WorldGuard implements true multi-domain security, with multiple mandatory hardware security domains available for securely processing the entire SoC’s data, even in multicore designs with many primary bus controllers. SiFive Shield offers portability and scalability, with extensive process technology support to ensure long-term stability.
The SiFive 20G1 Core IP with the SiFive HCA module is now available. You can find more information about SiFive 20G1 on our blog.
This article is sourced from the SiFive Blog and is reproduced here after translation for the purpose of disseminating more information; all rights belong to the original author.
