Quote for your convenience:
So — why not combine the best of two worlds then, i.e.
using secure hardware in an open-source design? There
are a few problems with that:
- There is an inverse relationship between making a
chip open and achieving security certifications, such as
Common Criteria. In order to achieve these higher levels
of certifications, certain requirements are put on the
final products and their use and available modes.
- There are, in practice, only two major players
providing secure silicon and none of their
products/platforms are available on the open market for
developers except in very large volumes.
- Even for large volume orders, there is a highly
bureaucratic process to even get started with these
suppliers: procedures, non-disclosure agreements, secure
access to datasheets, export control, licensing terms,
IP, etc.
- Since there is no debug port, embedded development
becomes a matter of having an expensive emulator and
special developer licenses, again available only under
NDA.
- Although this does not prevent the source code from
being published, without the datasheets, security
guidelines, and a platform for performing tests, the
outcome is questionable, with little practical value.