Longer Chip Lifecycles Increase Security Threat
Updates can change everything, whether it’s a system or something connected to that system.
The longer chips and electronic systems remain in use, the more they will need to be refreshed with software and firmware updates. That creates a whole new level of security risks, ranging from over-the-air intercepts to compromised supply chains.
These problems have been escalating as more devices are connected to the Internet and to each other, but it’s particularly worrisome when it involves cars, robots, avionics, and industrial and commercial equipment. For those applications, chips, systems, and systems of systems are expected to function 15 years or more. But in many cases these systems also are extremely complex. Some are developed using leading-edge node technology and/or unique architectures, as system architects try to squeeze every possible computation per watt out of these devices.