Secure configuration schemes for FPGA-based systems with simple key management

The growing evolution in field programmable gate array (FPGA) performances appeals to embedded systems designers to expansively incorporate FPGA devices in their systems. This expanding use makes FPGA-based systems more attractive to several attackers and hence vulnerable to a number of threats. In this paper, we propose two protection schemes against design theft, for SRAM-based FPGA devices, considering the key management issue at the customer facility. The first scheme proposes some improvements to a pre-reported scheme for reducing its implementation cost. The second proposition is distinct from others by combining both symmetric and asymmetric encryption. An evident comparison shows that our proposed schemes are more advantageous over other works and present the best tradeoff between hardware, security and key management, making good use of different cryptography features.