Design Methods for Embedded Security

Abstract—Embedded devices need both an efficient and a secure implementation of cryptographic algorithms. In this overview paper we show a typical top-down approach for secure and efficient implementation of embedded systems. We outline the security pyramid by illustrating the five primary abstraction levels in an embedded system. Focusing only on two levels-architecture and circuit level- we show how the design can be implemented to be both efficient and secure. Index Terms—Security, embedded systems, design methods, design pyramid, public key cryptosystems (PKC). I