Automotive Security in the World of Tomorrow - Part 2 of 2

If you missed the first part of this series, you can find it here.

So: what does Green Hills Software propose we do?

The issue of “solving security” is, at its core, impossible—security can never be 100% assured. What we can do is make it as difficult as possible for security holes to develop. This can be done in a couple ways; one is to make small code in small packs executed by a “safing plan”—having each individual component be easier to verify goes a long way toward ensuring the security of the system. Don’t have sensors connect directly to objects—instead have them output to the safing plan first, which can establish control and ensure that nothing can be used incorrectly or in unintended ways. Make sure individual software components are sufficiently isolated to minimize the chances of a side-channel attack being viable.

What all of these practices mean, however, is that a system needs to be architected with security in mind from the very beginning. Managers need to emphasize and reward secure development right from the planning stages, or the comprehensive approach required to ensure that a system is as secure as it can be won’t come together. When something in someone else’s software breaks, pay attention—mistakes are costly, but only one person has to make it before others can learn from it and ensure it doesn’t happen again. Experts are experts for a reason—when an independent expert tells you something in your design is not secure, don’t brush them off because the fix is expensive. This is what Green Hills Software does, and it’s how they ensure that their software is secure.

Now, where does Cadence fit into all of this? Cadence has a number of certified secure offerings a user can take advantage of when planning their new designs. The Tensilica portfolio of IP is a great way to ensure basic components of your design are foolproof. As always, the Cadence Verification Suite is great for security verification in both simulation and emulation, and JasperGold platform’s formal apps are a part of that suite as well.

We are entering a new age of autonomous technology, and with that new age we have to update our security measures to match. It’s not good enough to “patch up” security at the end—security needs to beat the forefront of a verification engineer or hardware designer’s mind at all stages of development. For a lot of applications, quite literally, lives are at stake. It’s uncharted territory out there, but with Green Hills Software and Cadence’s tools and secure IP, we can ensure the safety of tomorrow.