A DARPA Approach to Trusted Microelectronics

To ensure the integrity of critical military systems, Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 5200.44 requires that DoD manage risks to the supply and security of certain microelectronic components. Under this Instruction, DoD must provide specific protections—including detecting, avoiding, and mitigating potential threats—based on a component’s military importance (criticality).1 The security environment is fluid, however. Variations in the use and importance of each device, changes in the supplier base, new adversary threats, and the availability of effective threat countermeasures each drive changes in DoD’s security needs. Further, no single security solution can provide complete protection for the full range of critical components. That level of protection will take a flexible, technologically-driven, portfolio-based approach to addressing the risks faced.