New NSF-backed research addressing threat of security breaches in semiconductor design

The University of Maine has been awarded $400,000 as part of a $1.2 million collaborative research project titled “KIPPER: A Scalable Learning-Guided Hardware IP Protection Platform,” funded by the National Science Foundation under its Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace initiative. 

The project, led by Prabuddha Chakraborty, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at UMaine, is set to run through Aug. 31, 2028.

KIPPER will address the growing threat of confidentiality breaches in semiconductor design, including reverse engineering and intellectual property (IP) theft, which pose significant risks to both the industry and national security. As semiconductor designs become more intricate and globally distributed, the security of proprietary IP has become increasingly challenging to secure. 

The project will develop a new framework for hardware security that leverages artificial intelligence techniques, such as reinforcement learning and explainable algorithms. These AI tools will automate the detection of security vulnerabilities and simulate how security researchers identify attack vectors and root causes.

The platform will provide design transformations that safeguard against security attacks with minimal additional hardware overhead, ensuring efficient protection. By mimicking the strategies used by human researchers to identify and defend against vulnerabilities, KIPPER aims to streamline the process of hardware IP protection and build a scalable, adaptable defense mechanism that can evolve as new threats emerge.

Beyond its technical achievements, the project will also contribute to cybersecurity education by providing valuable open source tools and resources to the research community. These resources will facilitate further study and collaboration in the realm of hardware security, fostering innovation and knowledge sharing across academia and industry. 

The broader impact of the project extends to improving the security of the semiconductor industry at large, a critical sector for technological advancement and economic stability. By developing a scalable and robust IP protection platform, KIPPER will not only shield microelectronic designs from breaches but also enhance national security by mitigating emerging threats like side channel and Trojan attacks.

Contact: Christopher Karlen, christopher.karlen@maine.edu