Traditionally, the focus has been on protecting against digital threats, such as malware, ransomware and phishing attacks, by detecting and responding to them. However, cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated. There is growing recognition of the importance of measures to stop new attacks before they are recognized. For valuable assets, it is not good enough to have protection, it is essential to have some confidence in the effectiveness of the protection. With software, this kind of assurance is hard work, and this has led to an additional approach called hardsec.
What is Hardsec?
Short for “Hardware security.” Hardsec is the use of hardware logic and electronics to implement security protections, rather than just software – thereby providing a higher level of security assurance and resilience to both external and internal threats. Making it an important component of comprehensive cyber security strategies.
The rise of sophisticated attacks
When the impact of an attack on a system is so severe that it cannot be tolerated, robust defenses are needed to protect it. However, defenses implemented only in software can themselves be vulnerable to attack. That’s because software-only protection is inevitably complex and requires constant patches and updates. If one line of defense with software mechanisms is attacked and disabled, the protected system is left wide open.
The recent rise in sophisticated attacks against core software security tools is alarming, and there is no obvious way to change it. But with the help of hardware logic combined with software. It is possible to build a simple defense that does not require a complex supporting infrastructure, meaning that it is practically certain that it is free of flaws and therefore offers robust protection against new sophisticated attacks.
This is a hardsec approach.
Moving on to Hardsec
For organizations operating in highly regulated industries such as government, defense and finance, compliance with industry standards and regulations is paramount. Many national cyber organizations and government agencies recommend implementing hardsec as a critical component of a defense-in-depth strategy to protect against cyber threats. It’s as simple as implementing a single-ended hardware diode for more sophisticated hardware filtering and data validation.
US Department of Defense (DoD) sets mandates that require the use of hardsec with Initiative to raise the bar for use in conjunction with the Software Cross-domain security devices that connect from secret networks to high-threat networks such as the Internet.
The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) The Cybersecurity Framework emphasizes the importance of incorporating hardware security controls into comprehensive cybersecurity strategies.
The UK National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) promotes the use of hardsec, being mandatory for high-threat connections.
More about “Implementing the UK NCSC Principles for Cross-Domain Solutions” brochure.
The importance of hardsec cannot be overstated. By avoiding supply chain attacks, reducing complexity and aligning with regulatory requirements. Hardsec plays a critical role in protecting critical systems and data.
As governments and organizations continue to face evolving cyber threats. Investing in hardware-based security as a defense-in-depth measure in addition to software security is critical to maintaining strong and sustainable security.
Note: This article is written and contributed Daniel Feaver. Dan has worked with the UK Government and MoD on critical systems development, helping to innovate and improve the systems delivered. Dan has assisted in the design and delivery of cross-domain systems for UK central government and defence. Dan’s current role is as a Sales Engineer, Architect Everfox allowing him to contribute to system design and development of delivered solutions. Dan specializes in cross-domain solutions that help connect disconnected networks.
