Secure Embedded Systems Need Microkernels

The immense popularity of all sorts of electronic devices means that they have become an integral part of our lives; it is becoming difficult to imagine living without them. In the process, they are increasingly trusted with sensitive data, the loss of which can cause serious distress or financial harm. Security is therefore becoming a significant issue. Yet, as we know from the PC world, commodity computer systems are not well-defended against security threats. In this article we examine the security threats facing embedded systems, and what needs to be done to make them secure.

1 Embedded Systems Security Threats

Embedded systems — computers which are part of a larger system that is not primarily a computing device — are commonplace; in industrialized countries they outnumber people by about an order ofmagnitude. This includes cell phones, PDAs, entertainment devices, cars, washing machines, smart cards, broadband modems, and many more.

With our increasing dependence on embedded systems, their reliability and security become more and more of an issue. For example, cell phones and PDAs are used to perform financial transactions, which means that they are trusted with account access codes. Embedded devices also store increasing amounts of sensitive personal data, from address books to medical data. Hence, the security of such systems is a serious concern.

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