A Configurable RO-PUF for Securing Embedded Systems Implemented on Programmable Devices

Improving the security of electronic devices that support innovative critical services (digital administrative services, e-health, e-shopping, and on-line banking) is essential to lay foundations a secure digital society. Security schemes based on Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) take advantage intrinsic characteristics hardware for online generation unique identifiers cryptographic keys allow ensure protection against counterfeiting preserve data privacy. This paper tackles design configurable Ring Oscillator (RO) PUF encompasses several strategies provide an efficient solution in terms area, timing response, performance. RO-PUF implementation programmable logic conceived minimize use available resources, while operating speed can be optimized by properly selecting size elements used obtain response. The work also describes interface added facilitate its incorporation as Intellectual Property (IP)-modules into embedded systems. performance proven with extensive battery tests, which are executed analyze influence different test quality indexes. configurability proposed allows establishing most suitable “cost/performance/security-level” trade-off certain application.