1. Providing Security for Embedded Devices Through Virtualization
Student: Brahim Sabir
Advisor: Dr.A.Ferrante , Ing.F.Regazzoni
ALaRI – Master of Advanced Studies in Embedded Systems Design
University of Lugano

2. ALaRI – Master of Advanced Studies in Embedded Systems Design
Outline
Introduction
Embedded Systems today.
Evolution of ES software architectures.
Fundamentals to create more secure ES.
Studied ES architecture.
ALaRI – Master of Advanced Studies in Embedded Systems Design
University of Lugano 1

3. ALaRI – Master of Advanced Studies in Embedded Systems Design
Introduction
Virtualization
Multiple operating systems
One physical machine.
Why Virtualize? Cost savings, Better Resources Utilization, Better security.
Goal of the project : providing security for ES through this technique.
ALaRI – Master of Advanced Studies in Embedded Systems Design
University of Lugano 2

4. Embedded Systems today
Trends :
Increasing complexity(HW, SW, more functions), SW have unrestricted access to hardware resources.
Increasing connectivity and openness.
New applications services, management needs.
Device requirements :
High performance, constrained resources, reliability safety and security.
ALaRI – Master of Advanced Studies in Embedded Systems Design
University of Lugano 3

5. Evolution of ES Software architecture (1)
Simple Hardware software partitioning.
Software on the device are in equal right access to the hardware.
ALaRI – Master of Advanced Studies in Embedded Systems Design
University of Lugano 4

6. Evolution of ES Software architecture(2)
Separation of the operating system:
all the applications that run on top of OS will separate in one or more processes which were isolated in address space.
ALaRI – Master of Advanced Studies in Embedded Systems Design
University of Lugano 5

7. Fundamentals to create more secure ES
Splitting complex software.
Limit the amount of software running in privileged mode.
Least authority Principle.
ALaRI – Master of Advanced Studies in Embedded Systems Design
University of Lugano 6

8. Studied ES architecture
Requirements :
Minimized Kernel.
A level of performance.
Embedded systems demand small memory footprint.
ALaRI – Master of Advanced Studies in Embedded Systems Design
University of Lugano 7

9. ALaRI – Master of Advanced Studies in Embedded Systems Design
Future works
Implement the explored solution.
Propose a solution to provide security for Embedded devices.
ALaRI – Master of Advanced Studies in Embedded Systems Design
University of Lugano 8