Multi-core architecture with 4 to 8 cores on a die is a reality today and future generations of processors are expected to contain even more cores per chip. This project targets to realize the full potential of large-scale multi-core processors as a secure and trustworthy computing substrate. First, in "many-core" processors, the availability of a large number of processing elements together with constraints on power consumption alleviates the need for heavy time-sharing of resources, which often results in various types of side-channels. This change enables the use of more dedicated and statically allocated resources in this project to provide strong isolation and a simplified trusted software base. Second, many programmable processing elements in large-scale multi-cores can serve as a general substrate for various types of fine-grained inspection. This project is developing a flexible architecture framework for various run-time checks with minimal overheads in order to automatically detect, diagnose, and recover from malicious software attacks. Finally, the project extends the architectural framework to other aspects of trust beyond security, focusing on post-silicon verification, where the dynamic inspection can ensure various correctness properties. The research will deliver the benefits of hardware support in security and verification without requiring dedicated resources for a single fixed mechanism. Users can use each "extended core" for various security purposes, for verification and reliability purposes, or even for general computing. At the same time, the research will also enable highly secure execution environments where critical software components can be better protected.
