Design high-confidence computers using trusted instructional set architecture and emulators

TL;DR

This paper proposes a holistic approach to designing high-confidence computers using trusted instruction set architectures and emulators to enhance security and reliability without sacrificing performance.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive method combining trusted architecture and emulation to improve security and confidence in computing systems.

Findings

Proposes a trusted architecture framework for high-confidence computing.

Suggests emulation techniques to enhance security without disabling performance features.

Addresses vulnerabilities like Spectre and Meltdown through holistic design.

Abstract

High-confidence computing relies on trusted instructional set architecture, sealed kernels, and secure operating systems. Cloud computing depends on trusted systems for virtualization tasks. Branch predictions and pipelines are essential in improving performance of a CPU/GPU. But Spectre and Meltdown make modern processors vulnerable to be exploited. Disabling the prediction and pipeline is definitely not a good solution. On the other hand, current software patches can only address non-essential issues around Meltdown. This paper introduces a holistic approach in trusted computer architecture design and emulation.