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Hey everyone. Welcome back to the
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channel. Today, we are diving deep into
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a massive shift in how technology is
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secured from the ground up, specifically
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focusing on a major breakthrough out of
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Russia that completely changes the game
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for hardware security.
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Over the next few minutes, we will look
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at how scientists have built a highly
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specialized laser system designed to
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intentionally break microchips in a lab
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just to see where they are vulnerable.
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We will explore how this tool breaks a
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long-standing Western monopoly, how it
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actually works on a microscopic level,
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and why it is suddenly vital for
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everything from the smartphone in your
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pocket to satellites orbiting Earth.
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This is a fascinating look into the
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invisible hardware wars, so make sure to
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watch till the end to see how it all
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Russia has made a major stride toward
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improving its technological sovereignty
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in the fields of cybersecurity and
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The first laser fault injection complex
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to be domestically produced in the
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country has been developed by
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researchers at Positive Technologies,
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the research division of Positive
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This complex is intended to evaluate the
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security of microchips and electronic
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The new system, LFI 26, is an important
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achievement for the hardware security
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It offers capabilities that were
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previously exclusively available from a
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limited number of specialized foreign
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The announcement of the system's
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creation was made in early June 2026 and
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promptly drew attention from the
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cybersecurity and microelectronics
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For many years, Russian organizations
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that undertook advanced hardware
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security research depended on imported
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equipment from a small number of Western
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Access to these specialized tools became
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increasingly challenging as a result of
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technological and geopolitical
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constraints that were implemented after
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This created a critical void in the
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country's capacity to assess the
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security of contemporary semiconductor
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All right, let's step back for a second
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and look at what is actually happening
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This new system, the LFI 26, is
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basically being built to patch up that
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The whole point is to give Russian
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researchers, chip makers, and cyber
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specialists a local platform where they
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can hunt down flaws in integrated
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circuits before the bad guys do.
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And honestly, wait, let's not sugarcoat
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it. This matters because microchips are
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pretty much running our entire lives
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Every single day, billions of people are
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tapping away on devices powered by
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processors that are getting ridiculously
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We're talking about your everyday
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smartphones, laptops, payment cards,
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banking terminals, crypto wallets, and
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even cars, industrial systems, and
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satellites spinning around the planet.
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The value of the information processed
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by these devices increases as
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semiconductor technology becomes more
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Financial transactions, cryptographic
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keys, personal information, industrial
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secrets, and national security data
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frequently traverse integrated circuits
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that must be protected from both
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physical and software attacks.
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While malware, hacking groups, and
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network intrusions are often the subject
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of cybersecurity discussions,
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hardware-level assaults have become an
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increasingly pressing concern.
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The software protections that that built
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on top of the chip may be circumvented
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by attackers if they are able to
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compromise the chip itself.
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This is the point at which sophisticated
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hardware security testing systems become
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completely indispensable,
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which brings us directly to
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understanding how laser fault injection
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Laser fault injection is the basic
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method of this new system, and it is
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widely recognized as one of the most
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effective ways to test secure
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The concept is unexpectedly simple.
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Specific regions of a semiconductor
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device are targeted by a laser beam that
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is exceedingly focused.
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Researchers can create temporary
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malfunctions in the chip's operation by
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meticulously modulating the laser
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pulse's intensity, location, and timing.
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So, what happens when you blast a chip
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Well, these tiny defects can actually
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make the device skip instructions, mess
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up its math, spit out protected data, or
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just act completely haywire.
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Researchers then look at the damage to
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figure out if a real-world hacker could
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pull off the same trick.
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Think of it like a controlled stress
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test. Kind of like car manufacturers
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crash testing vehicles, but for silicon.
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Instead of just hoping for the best,
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developers are intentionally trying to
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break their own stuff in a lab before
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International studies have already
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proven that lasers can bypass security
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checks and reveal hidden data, making
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this level of precision absolutely
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lethal in the right hands.
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This precision is exactly why the system
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is designed to meet a critical
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technological deficit, especially since
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Russia was previously unable to produce
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such equipment domestically.
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Organizations that needed advanced
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laser-based testing tools typically had
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to acquire solutions from foreign
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suppliers, particularly French and Dutch
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companies that specialized in
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semiconductor security analysis.
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Companies like Elfa Nov in France and
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Riscure in the Netherlands were the
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go-to names before 2022,
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gaining international recognition for
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supplying tools capable of undertaking
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side channel security analysis and fault
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Nevertheless, the access to these
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platforms was uncertain due to changes
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in international trade conditions and
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technological restrictions.
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This presented researchers with a
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considerable limitation. How to continue
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assessing the security of processors
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that were created domestically or
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imported without access to critical
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testing infrastructure?
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An answer to that challenge is
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represented by the development of LFI
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Positive Technologies stated that the
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initiative started to maintain and
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enhance domestic expertise in hardware
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Representatives of the company
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underscored that the absence of such
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equipment renders it exceedingly
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challenging to conduct thorough
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evaluations of foreign semiconductor
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products or to confirm the security
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level of domestic microelectronics.
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Now, if you are still with me and
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finding this breakdown of hardware
7:10
warfare interesting, take a quick second
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to hit that like button and subscribe to
7:16
It really helps get these deep dives out
7:20
Let's get right back into how this
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machine actually operates.
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While the full technical specs are still
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pretty heavily guarded, the overall
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operating principle aligns perfectly
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with the world's most advanced laser
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fault injection systems.
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The system uses laser radiation that is
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precisely focused to target microscopic
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regions of a semiconductor die.
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The laser incorporates controlled
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disturbances into electronic circuits,
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resulting in temporary changes in the
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behavior of transistors and logic gates.
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The chip's response to these
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disturbances can be observed by
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Developers acquire valuable insight into
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potential vulnerabilities that require
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resolution when security mechanisms
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malfunction, encrypted data is
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compromised, or authentication
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procedures are circumvented.
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Laser fault implantation stands out by
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its exceptional precision.
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Laser systems can target regions within
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a chip that are very small, in contrast
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to other forms of fault injection that
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affect larger portions of a device.
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As a result, researchers are able to
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isolate and closely examine specific
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The technology essentially allows
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specialists to replicate the actions of
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a highly sophisticated assailant in
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controlled laboratory conditions.
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Manufacturers can improve the overall
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resilience of their products and
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implement more robust protections by
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comprehending the behavior of processors
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during these simulated attacks.
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Because of this flexibility, the system
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opens up practical applications across a
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massive variety of industries.
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The scope of devices that can be
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analyzed with LFI 26 is remarkably
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Financial institutions can apply this
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technology to assess the resilience of
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automated teller machines, payment
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terminals, and banking cards against
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physical assaults that are intended to
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steal sensitive information.
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Manufacturers of cryptocurrency wallets
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can evaluate the security of private
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keys in the presence of sophisticated
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The durability of secure areas and
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trusted execution environments in the
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face of fault injection attempts can be
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examined by security researchers and
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smartphone manufacturers.
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Let's look at cars, for example, because
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automotive organizations can use similar
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setups to validate the safety of
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electronic control units that handle
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engine management, braking, and
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self-driving features.
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Factory managers and power plants can
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use it to test the rugged programmable
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controllers keeping our infrastructure
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Even space tech gets a boost here
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because satellites need to stay secure
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for decades up in orbit without anyone
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being able to physically go up and fix a
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According to the first mention of our
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industry experts, this single platform
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can facilitate research across all of
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these diverse devices simultaneously.
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Beyond individual industries, this tool
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is vital for building a complete
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hardware security ecosystem.
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Positive Technologies is currently
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developing a more extensive suite of
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testing equipment, which includes the
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LFI 26, alongside systems for
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electromagnetic side channel analysis
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and electromagnetic fault injection.
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These instruments collectively offer
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researchers various methods for
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assessing the security of electronic
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Electromagnetic fault injection employs
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precisely controlled pulses to induce
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defects rather than lasers, while side
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channel analysis evaluates indirect data
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like power consumption to see if
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sensitive info can be leaked.
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Researchers can conduct exhaustive
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evaluations that cover a diverse array
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of attack scenarios by integrating these
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The outcome is a more comprehensive
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comprehension of the genuine security of
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a microprocessor or embedded system.
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Engineers are able to detect
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vulnerabilities that may remain
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undetectable if only a single analysis
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method were employed
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due to the existence of multiple
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complementary testing platforms.
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This integrated approach marks a
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strategic step for Russia's
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semiconductor industry as a whole.
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The launch of LFI 26 arrives at a time
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when many countries are seeking greater
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control over critical technology
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Semiconductors have evolved into a
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strategic resource that has a
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significant impact on national security,
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technological independence, and economic
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The development of a domestic laser
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fault injection platform in Russia can
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be interpreted as a component of a more
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comprehensive initiative to improve the
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capabilities of the semiconductor value
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Technological independence encompasses
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more than just the development and
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production of processors. The capacity
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to confirm their security through the
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use of sophisticated testing equipment
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is equally critical.
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It becomes challenging to verify claims
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regarding security and resistance to
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sophisticated attacks in the absence of
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Therefore, the introduction of LFI 26 is
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not only a new research instrument, but
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also a crucial element of the broader
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microelectronics ecosystem in the
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The system can be engaged to assess the
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resilience of newly developed Russian
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semiconductor products and to evaluate
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foreign processors that have been
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deployed in critical infrastructure.
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In an environment where trust and
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security have become central
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considerations in technology procurement
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and deployment, this dual role is
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particularly valuable.
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This dual role is also what is finally
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putting an end to a foreign monopoly.
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One of the most significant features of
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the project is its ability to break the
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long-standing reliance on a small number
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of foreign suppliers who had previously
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dominated this highly specialized niche.
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For many years, organizations worldwide
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depended on a limited number of
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companies that were capable of producing
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sophisticated laser defect injection
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A domestic alternative has emerged,
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which means that Russian researchers are
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no longer wholly reliant on foreign
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vendors for access to these
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The development also illustrates the
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increasing sophistication of local
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hardware security knowledge.
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You see, to build a machine like this,
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you need a deep understanding of
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semiconductor physics, optics, embedded
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systems, cybersecurity, and precision
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Smashing all of those wildly different
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sciences together into a single working
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machine is a massive technical
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And as we look ahead to the future, the
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unveiling of the LFI 26 stands out as a
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defining milestone for both the
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semiconductor and cybersecurity
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Positive Technologies has entered a
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highly specialized field that was
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previously dominated by a tiny handful
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of international vendors.
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Tools that are capable of revealing
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vulnerabilities before adversaries can
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exploit them will be instrumental in
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safeguarding digital infrastructure as
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hardware security becomes an
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increasingly critical concern on a
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The new laser complex offers researchers
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a potent tool for comprehending the
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behavior of contemporary processors
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under attack, regardless of whether it
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is employed to test banking systems,
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smartphones, industrial equipment,
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automobiles, or satellites.
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Furthermore, it provides the capacity to
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fortify those systems prior to their
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implementation in the actual world.
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We thank the people who have subscribed
15:31
the channel, liked, and shared the
15:34
We also thank the channel members for
15:38
Last but not least, we also thank the
15:40
viewers who have hyped our videos.
