Hardware Security Pros and Costs

Easiest way to demonstrate security

Everyone trusts their own software applications because, well - they are ours and we “know” we got them right. The issue is how to make others trust our applications, especially if the sole purpose of those applications is to protect data.

Security validations and how to conduct them is one of the problems with no simple solution. Secure hardware has been the main answer for more than 20 years.

Problem of Demonstrating Security

We can make it easier for others to verify quality and security of IT products or applications. We can define a clean application interface (API), separate the critical computer code into smaller modules that are easier to analyse, or show paths of sensitive data.

• clean and simple application interface (API)

• separate critical functionality into small software modules

• define data flows through the product or application

Once we can define a clear interface and physically separate everything inside this boundary, it is possible to limit the scope of analysis of what is happening inside. Whatever happens, the data will remain inside and will not get compromised. This is why use of dedicated security hardware is far superior to software solutions.

Cost of Secure Hardware

The problem is that use of secure hardware involves hardware devices, which someone has to host, manage, replace, … manage. The use of these devices is not for light-hearted either. One has to have an extensive experience to use them correctly. One also has to have a budget to buy or rent them.

Independent Security Benchmarks

While there is no perfect solution for verifying security, the best current benchmark is an independent validation of the quality of a product or application. In terms of security, there are currently two main standards.