A comprehensive survey of physical and logic testing techniques for Hardware Trojan detection and prevention

Hardware Trojans have emerged as a great threat to the trustability of modern electronic systems. A deployed electronic system with one or more undetected Hardware Trojan-infected components can cause grave harm, ranging from personal information loss to destruction of national infrastructure. The inherently surreptitious nature and bewildering variety of Hardware Trojans makes their detection an extremely challenging exercise. In this paper, we explore the state of the art of post-silicon testing techniques for Hardware Trojan detection, with our coverage including both physical measurement-based testing, as well as logic testing. We present systematic classification of Hardware Trojans and a taxonomy of detection techniques based on physical and logical testing, and describe these techniques in details, including their stand-out features and strengths and weaknesses. We conclude the paper with an evaluation of the current status of progress, and major directions of future research.

Download paper here

Recommended citation: R. Mukherjee, S. R. Rajendran, and R. S. Chakraborty, ‘A comprehensive survey of physical and logic testing techniques for Hardware Trojan detection and prevention’, Journal of Cryptographic Engineering, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 495–522, Nov. 2022.