NOKOMIS INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: Because Critical Program Information (CPI) is often embedded in Integrated Circuits (ICs),

Description

Because Critical Program Information (CPI) is often embedded in Integrated Circuits (ICs), adversaries must now attack at the die level or through other intrusive means. As a result, Focused Ion Beams (FIBs) have become a preferred tool for reverse engineering. In Phase I, Nokomis demonstrated that FIB edits showed distinct, exploitable emission signature differences whose detection could be used by an automated system to detect alterations of programmed parts as well as other attack vectors. This Phase II SBIR will miniaturize and automate a system that exploits this methodology and is capable of protecting CPI. In addition, it will position the sensor for program specific transition to protect real-world MDA CPI. Specifically, this effort will 1) further characterize phenomenology and develop a database/framework to address numerous attack vectors; 2) develop software to detect CPI modification and/or access; 3) design, build, and integrate a miniaturized detection system; 4) demonstrate the prototype H-IMS"effectiveness against specific attack modes; and 5) develop an integration path into BMD systems.