The non-profit organization lowRISC, overseeing the development of an open-source microprocessor based on the RISC-V architecture, has announced the availability of the first chip ready for commercial production, built on the open platform OpenTitan, developed as an independent collaborative project. Initially, the project was founded by Google, but after transferring to lowRISC, companies like Western Digital, Seagate, Nuvoton Technology, Winbond, Rivos, zeroRISC, and G+D Mobile Security have joined its development. The associated code and hardware component specifications have been published under the Apache 2.0 license.
Unlike existing implementations of the Root of Trust, OpenTitan is being developed according to the concept of 'security through transparency', which implies code and schematic availability, as well as a fully open development process, not tied to specific vendors and chip manufacturers. The solutions applied in OpenTitan are based on technologies already used in Google Titan cryptographic USB tokens and TPM chips to ensure verified boot. servers Google's infrastructure, as well as in Chromebook and Pixel devices.
OpenTitan is a platform for creating trusted hardware components (RoT, Root of Trust), which can be used where it is essential to guarantee the integrity of the hardware and software elements of the system, certifying that critical parts of the system have not been tampered with and are based on verified and manufacturer-authorized code. The project provides a ready, tested, and reliable framework that enhances trust in the solutions being developed and reduces costs in creating specialized security chips.
OpenTitan-based chips can be used in server motherboards, network cards, consumer devices, routers, and Internet of Things devices for verifying firmware and loaded components, as well as for generating cryptographically unique system identifiers (protection against hardware tampering), securing cryptographic keys (isolating keys in case of physical access by an attacker), providing associated security services, and maintaining an isolated audit log that cannot be edited or erased.
OpenTitan includes various logic blocks that are in demand in RoT chips, such as an open microprocessor based on the RISC-V architecture (RV32IMCB Ibex), cryptographic coprocessors, a hardware random number generator, a key manager with DICE support, a secure data storage mechanism for persistent and volatile memory, protection technologies, input/output blocks, secure boot tools, etc. The device also provides blocks implementing standard encryption algorithms like AES and HMAC-SHA256, and an accelerator for mathematical operations used in algorithms for working with public key digital signatures, such as RSA and elliptic curve-based algorithms.
Source: opennet.ru
