FORTUNA - A probabilistic framework for early design stages of hardware-based secure systems

This paper introduces FORTUNA, a probabilistic framework that supports the conception and early design stages of hardware-based secure systems. FORTUNA can point out potential weaknesses of complex systems, involving physical and logical attacks, basic human interaction or even a few classes of unknown threats. FORTUNA consists of two main elements: a) a logical-probabilistic theoretic model in which quantitative and qualitative security assessments of hardware-based systems can be done; and b) a semiautomatic tool, based on the proposed model, that can assist secure system designing from the very initial development stages. To the best of our knowledge, FORTUNA is the first framework (and tool) to support such a broad scope of interactions and also the first aimed at the conception and early design phases of hardware-based systems. Other contributions include a proof of the “policy of least privileges” under our model and an example of use of the framework in the design of a secure microprocessor.