Considering that the entire personal computer industry is based around semiconductors, cybersecurity wouldn’t exist without them. Then again, the reasons for securing systems are also tied to semiconductors. Chip fabricators have been working hard to lock down their hardware and make sure that it can stand up to the myriad attacks that bad actors throw at them.

If you’re used to thinking of computers as opaque boxes, then you’ll want to take a much closer look at these three ways that transistors and integrated circuits are changing the conversation that surrounds these handy devices.

1. Providing Hardware Firewalls

Boxed firewall solutions are much stronger than most software-defined alternatives. Some vendors provide dedicated firewall units that sit between a router and a home or commercial network. These check incoming packets for bad requests and get rid of any that don’t match a set of predefined rules. Unlike software-based solutions, they’re not dependent on client hardware to function.

Inside these firewalls lay a collection of powerful embedded semiconductor packages, which are much like those provided by embedded systems suppliers. In fact, companies that are on the lookout for integrated vehicle sensors and other related tools are likely going to want something similar to the hardware used inside these boxes. Hobbyists will sometimes build their own units out of personal computer-derived circuit boards and install an open-source operating system on them. While these are somewhat different from physical hardware firewalls purchased from a supplier, they still make use of semiconductors in the form of integrated circuits.

2. Physical Security

Engineers are working to harden semiconductor packages against on-chip attacks, which involve bad actors trying to dismantle integrated circuits to learn more about them physically. If they gain access through wired connections to the pins that allow these chips to interface with computers, then they could theoretically run whatever arbitrary code they want to.

Serious attackers could even gain control of onboard firmware and warp it way beyond its original design specs. Technicians are actively working to stop these threats and harden semiconductor attack surfaces.

3. Running Operational Code

Any cybersecurity program you’re likely to find needs a platform to run on. Modern digital computers are built on semiconductor boards from the ground up. Though it’s technically possible to make a hollow state computer that leverages the power of some other kind of switching system, this kind of equipment won’t be found outside of a telephone company’s central office buildings. Whether you’re running a virus scanner on a laptop or a port detector on the latest smartphone, you’re necessarily using semiconductors. Data scientists are looking into ways to make these services run much more quickly without having to redesign current generation hardware drastically.

Every day seems to bring a new development in artificial intelligence and code automation. As the computer industry continues to evolve, it’s almost certain that each of these new trends will rely on the same semiconductor-based microprocessors the rest of the industry uses.

Published by: Josh Tatunay