[Blog] Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Navigating the Evolving Cybersecurity Landscape with Lattice
Posted 10/01/2024 by Lattice Semiconductor
As global interconnectivity and dependence on digital technologies increase, so does the prevalence of cybercrime. In fact, 2023 witnessed a 72% rise in data breaches compared to 2021, which previously held the record, according to Forbes. As cyber threats become more sophisticated and frequent, organizations must adopt proactive approaches to safeguard their systems, data, and operations. One of the proactive approaches includes implementing cyber resilience—the ability to withstand attacks, adapt to threats, and recover from incidents—to ensure continuous protection and minimal disruption.
Every October is a Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which was introduced by the CISA.gov (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency) to promote a culture of cyber resilience. At Lattice, while we work year around to enable our customers and partners to navigate the evolving cybersecurity landscape with Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology, we applaud this effort to bring increased focus to this important topic each year. After all, it’s a perfect chance to highlight our innovative FPGA solutions with hardened security, comprehensive toolkits, and Lattice Cyber Resiliency Program that offer organizations the easy-to-implement, scalable, and adaptable tools they need to stay protected.
Comprehensive Lattice FPGA solutions: A Shield in the Cyber Battlefield
FPGAs with advanced security features can serve as a highly effective Hardware Root of Trust (HRoT) within computer systems, providing tamper-resistant components that ensure security and integrity. Their combination of immutability and flexibility makes them an ideal security engine for industries urgently seeking robust security solutions. Lattice MachXO3D™ and the Lattice Mach™-NX family exemplify HRoT, offering a trusted, tamper-resistant foundation for system security. These devices feature dedicated security engines, hardened in silicon, with secure, immutable unique IDs. This ensures that the system’s core functions and critical components are anchored in a silicon root of trust, verifiable as genuine and unaltered, thereby mitigating risks of unauthorized access or malicious tampering. Additionally, like all Lattice FPGAs, they excel in small size and power efficiency, which are crucial factors in system designs across various industries.
According to U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines, Platform Firmware Resiliency (PFR) is another critical requirement to maintain cyber resiliency. FPGAs can employ PFR mechanisms to ensure the integrity and authenticity of firmware throughout the system's operation. The Lattice Sentry™ solution stack helps minimize in-system firmware attack vulnerabilities by providing real-time, dynamic protection, detection, and recovery capabilities. Lattice Sentry consists of a complete reference platform, fully validated IP building blocks, easy to use FPGA design tools, reference design/demonstrations, as well as a network of custom design services. This solution includes everything system designers need to evaluate, develop, test, and deploy a NIST SP800-193-compliant, FPGA-based PFR RoT.
Additionally, over the past decade, the transition to 5G and next-generation networks has driven industries to transform their network architectures, with a notable shift towards Open Radio Access Networks (ORAN). ORAN allows telecom companies to combine elements from multiple vendors, enhancing flexibility, reducing costs, and accelerating the implementation of new features. However, this shift increases security risks. The Lattice ORAN™ Solution Stack addresses these challenges by offering advanced security, precise synchronization, and efficient hardware acceleration, supporting the evolution towards Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and disaggregation. This comprehensive suite ensures robust security, compliance with timing standards, and energy-efficient small cell deployments, reflecting Lattice’s commitment to innovation in ORAN deployments.
Lattice Cyber Resiliency Program: A Source for the Latest Security Insights
At Lattice, we believe that staying ahead in cybersecurity requires continuous learning and collaboration. That's why we introduced our Cyber Resiliency Program, through which we publish a variety of security-focused content to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and solutions in the world of security.
The program includes a quarterly security seminar featuring an array of industry experts, customers, and partners. Through these seminars, Lattice helps companies navigate the rapidly changing landscape and stay compliant with evolving regulations. We provide insights, best practices, and practical solutions that enable our customers and partners to build more secure and resilient systems.
Check out our recent security-focused seminars and panels here:
In addition, we regularly publish blog posts on the latest security trends and standards, with the latest one assessing the eagerly awaited new PQC standards from NIST. The blog outlines the impact of these standards and the essential steps for system designers to effectively transition to PQC. Read the full blog here.
Fostering a Safer Cyber Future
Our commitment to helping organizations navigate the evolving cybersecurity landscape has earned several notable industry awards just over the past year, in addition to several others in years passed.
At Lattice, we remain dedicated to continually developing new FPGA technologies, as well as refining our existing FPGA products and solution stacks, to stay ahead of emerging cyber threats. As we observe Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it’s important to remember that cyber resiliency is a continuous undertaking. Together, we can take proactive steps to foster a more secure future.
To learn more about how Lattice can help future-proof your systems, reach out to our team today.