SHARCS proposes new paradigms for the adoption and enforcement of end-to-end security.
Its focus is distributed throughout the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystem, creating solutions in both software and hardware,
from Systems-on-a-Chip, running without an operating system present, to major cloud infrastructures with multiple levels of abstraction.
The impact that SHARCS project achieved, enriched the SHARCS project’s use-cases (Implant, Automotive, Cloud) with new security mechanisms.
In more detail, the progress beyond the State-of-the-Art is as follows:
* New paradigms for the design and implementation of ICT technology:
Through modifying or completely redesigning existing technologies, the SHARCS project guarantees end-to-end security for secure execution and communications.
For example, the Cloud platform is making changes to expose hardware security functions to the entire platform.
The Implantable Medical Device (IMD) is being redesigned to enforce safe execution and safe communication with the outside world.
The Automotive use-case is modifying its software and hardware stack, to enforce safe execution and communications.
* ICT products and services compliant with Europe’s security and privacy regulation:
The Cloud platform has already adopted security mechanisms.
The IMD is adopting secure execution technologies as well as secure communication protocols.
The Automotive use-case is also adopting secure execution technologies.
* ICT with a measurably higher level of security and/or privacy, at marginal additional cost compared to ICT technology following the traditional designs (i.e. implementing security as add-on functionality):
By exposing already present hardware security features to the end user, the Cloud platform is enforcing security with no significant cost overhead.
The IMD was redesigned with security in mind.
While the Automotive platform is focusing on automated software protections.
* Increase user trust in ICT and online services:
By exposing security features directly to the clients, Cloud becomes more trustworthy, since the clients can be assured that the data centre’s machines, and by extension their data, are not compromised.
With the protections added to the IMD and Automotive cases, users will be able to trust their privacy and well-being.
* Improve users’ ability to detect breaches of security and privacy:
Through secure boot mechanisms and remote attestation, users will be able to check and isolate security breaches.
In the IMD and Automotive cases, the technologies applied are transparent to the user.
* More resilient critical infrastructures and services:
Through improvements in the security of the Cloud platform, users can be certain that their workloads are running safely and without interruptions.
The IMD and Automotive platforms have been hardened against tampering that could result in malicious behaviour, or denial of service.
* Provides security and privacy as a built-in feature, simpler to understand and manage for the user compared to traditional ICT.
The UI design of the Cloud platform is being improved, to provide an easier and simpler rundown of the security features provided.
In the IMD and Automotive cases, the technologies applied are transparent to the user.
* ICT technology that is proven to be more secure than ICT designed the traditional way:
This will be determined through the automated testing and the evaluation work.
