Secure Boot Architecture for Embedded Systems using Symmetric Cryptography

This paper describes a novel methodology for implementing symmetric secure boot architecture on embedded system built on FPGA/ASIC. Secure boot is a process that verifies the authenticity and integrity of the code running on the device before executing it. It is realized with symmetric cryptographic methods such as Hash-Based Message Authentication Code (HMAC) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), reducing hardware resource usage and power consumption. In-Order to secure the keys used for HMAC and AES, it is bound with Root of Trust (RoT) elements on hardware with a Wrapped Key Data Structure (WKDS).