Page 280 - AWSAR 2.0

256 || AWSAR Awarded Popular Science Stories - 2019
Karna: Securing Digital Devices at Birth
Mr. Patanjali S.L.P.S.K.*
Email: patanjali.slpsk@gmail.com
Today we live in the era of smartphones. These devices, no bigger than our palm, play a major role in all of our lives. Right from playing rhymes to keep a 5-year old kid entertained to playing hymns when our grandparents wake up in the morning, they serve as our nurse, friend, well-wisher and mentor. However, the decision to buy a new cellphone today is not an easy one: right from the type of glass used to make the screen to the amount of RAM available every aspect of the device is scrutinized carefully and compared to ensure that we get the best possible gadget for the price we pay. However, while all aspects of the device can be quantified, there is no way to measure one important quality viz, security.
Need for security metrics
We trust our cell phones with almost everything: our personal data, bank accounts, and pin codes. Today, if one was asked to choose a phone based on performance, there are metrics, like frequency, which could be used to make that decision, for example, we can objectively state that a phone operating at 2 GHz is slower than a phone operating at 5 GHz. Similarly, we can say that a phone with 2 GB of RAM has less memory than a phone with 6 GB of RAM. We have metrics for every aspect like camera resolution, and even screen display. Today, my cousin who is yet to start basic digital logic can answer the question “Is it better to buy a Pixel XL or an iphone X?” but we cannot yet answer the question
“How do we measure the security of a mobile phone?”
* Mr. Patanjali S.L.P.S.K., PhD Scholar from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, is pursuing his research on “Hardware Security”. His popular science story entitled “Karna: Securing Digital Devices at Birth” has been selected for AWSAR Award.