Towards Remotely Verifiable Software Integrity in Resource-Constrained IoT Devices

Abstract

Lower-end IoT devices typically have strict cost constraints that rule out usual security mechanisms available in general-purpose computers or higher-end devices. To secure low-end devices, various low-cost security architectures have been proposed for remote verification of their software state via integrity proofs. These proofs vary in terms of expressiveness, with simpler ones confirming correct binary presence, while more expressive ones support verification of arbitrary code execution. This article provides a holistic and systematic treatment of this family of architectures. It also compares (qualitatively and quantitatively) the types of software integrity proofs, respective architectural support, and associated costs. Finally, we outline some research directions and emerging challenges.