The desire for digital sovereignty, exacerbated by global semiconductor shortages and geopolitical interests, has led to numerous worldwide initiatives to strengthen semiconductor technology and manufacturing on national and regional scales. Consequently, the pivotal role of hardware security and trustworthiness in computing systems and supply chains has become paramount.

Hardware security is foundational to the integrity of computing systems. Insecure hardware compromises critical system functionality and poses significant risks to society.

Yet, in recent years, we’ve witnessed a rise in hardware design and implementation vulnerabilities within this evolving landscape. When exploited by unprivileged software, these vulnerabilities can expose sensitive data or compromise entire computing systems. This emerging threat paradigm challenges decades of research in system security, disrupting traditional models that primarily focus on software vulnerabilities and undermining assumptions about hardware trustworthiness.