The document “The Journey of MCU Chip Encryption” was written by Author Wu Zhe, providing a detailed review of the historical development of microcontroller (MCU) chip security measures, and concludes with a summary of the advantages and limitations of smart card chip security design.
Here is a summary of the main content of the document【See original text at the end】:
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Single Board Machine Era: In the early 1970s, embedded systems were composed of separate components with almost no protective measures to prevent ROM data from being copied.
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Microcontroller Era: With the development of integrated circuit technology, MCUs replaced single board machines, but the internal EEPROM and MCU were separately sealed, posing security risks.
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Security Fuse: MCUs added security fuses to control data access but were easily locatable and vulnerable to attacks.
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Security fuses became part of the memory array: Manufacturers integrated security fuses into the memory array, making it harder to crack.
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Using a portion of the main memory to control external data access: By locking specific address information or using passwords to control memory access, security was enhanced.
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Using top metal networks: Design increases the difficulty of intrusion, monitors short circuits and open circuits, but may trigger false alarms under abnormal conditions.
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Smart Card Chip Security Design: Smart cards use memory bus encryption technology to effectively prevent intrusive and semi-intrusive attacks. Smart card chips have high security performance but are expensive, with high development tool costs and limited I/O functionality.
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Pros and cons of smart card chip encryption solutions: Smart cards provide more anti-attack protection, but there are cost and functionality limitations compared to microcontrollers.
Postscript: The struggle between chip security protection and cracking technology is ongoing, and the competition between manufacturers and crackers will not cease.
The document emphasizes that with technological advancements, MCU chip security measures are continuously upgraded, while also pointing out the limitations of existing security measures and potential cracking risks. The author believes that the application of smart card chips in the field of encryption chips is a promising direction, especially in situations requiring high security strength.
