# Hardware Security **Entity class:** Cybersecurity domain ## Definition **Hardware security** protects the physical computing platform and its roots of trust so higher-level software, identity, encryption, isolation, and workload controls have a trustworthy foundation. Relevant mechanisms include secure enclaves, trusted platform modules, hardware security modules, confidential computing, secure boot, and lifecycle protections. ## Relationships - **research ecosystem:** Electronics Resurgence Initiative and [[wiki/DARPA Electronics Resurgence Initiative Summit|DARPA Electronics Resurgence Initiative Summit]]. - **deployment context:** [[wiki/Edge Computing|Edge Computing]] and cloud computing. - **community event:** [[wiki/DEF CON|DEF CON]]. - **collection:** [[collections/Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and the Intelligence Environment|Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and the Intelligence Environment]]. ## Sources / Provenance - [NISTIR 8320 — hardware-enabled security](https://www.nist.gov/publications/hardware-enabled-security-enabling-layered-approach-platform-security-cloud-and-edge) ## Simple Reminders, Quotations, and Thoughts > "In our business, trustworthiness and reliability are essential for accurate and consistent outputs – and for minimizing the risk of catastrophic errors in high-risk environments." > **— Frank Whitworth**, *May 19, 2025, 2025 GEOINT Symposium Keynote* [[reminders/Information/Trustworthy AI Is Essential in High-Risk Environments by Frank Whitworth|Trustworthy AI Is Essential in High-Risk Environments by Frank Whitworth]] > "Zero trust is critical in the current digital battlespace, and the Agency must safeguard the most sensitive data from the very beginning. Breaches must be detected quickly, and adversaries defeated at the perimeter." > **— Defense Intelligence Agency**, *September 8, 2026, 2026 DoDIIS Worldwide Conference Recap* [[reminders/Cybernetics/Zero Trust Must Protect Sensitive Data From the Beginning by Defense Intelligence Agency|Zero Trust Must Protect Sensitive Data From the Beginning by Defense Intelligence Agency]] > "The defense enterprise the Agency services requires identity management, encryption, monitoring and access control as cloud native services — not add-ons." > **— Defense Intelligence Agency**, *September 8, 2026, 2026 DoDIIS Worldwide Conference Recap* [[reminders/Cybernetics/Security Services Must Make Identity Encryption Monitoring and Access Control Native by Defense Intelligence Agency|Security Services Must Make Identity Encryption Monitoring and Access Control Native by Defense Intelligence Agency]] > "The virtual SCIF brings the security of a physical vault to the front and is built on zero trust principles that the IC and DoW requires, enabling collaboration." > **— Defense Intelligence Agency**, *September 8, 2026, 2026 DoDIIS Worldwide Conference Recap* [[reminders/Cybernetics/A Virtual SCIF Can Bring Physical-Vault Security to the Front by Defense Intelligence Agency|A Virtual SCIF Can Bring Physical-Vault Security to the Front by Defense Intelligence Agency]] > "Accelerating innovation in artificial intelligence hardware to make decisions at the edge faster" > **— DARPA**, *accessed September 23, 2026, Electronics Resurgence Initiative — What Is ERI?* [[reminders/Information/AI Hardware Should Make Decisions at the Edge Faster by DARPA|AI Hardware Should Make Decisions at the Edge Faster by DARPA]] > "Overcoming security threats across the entire hardware lifecycle" > **— DARPA**, *accessed September 23, 2026, Electronics Resurgence Initiative — What Is ERI?* [[reminders/Cybernetics/Hardware Security Must Address the Entire Lifecycle by DARPA|Hardware Security Must Address the Entire Lifecycle by DARPA]]