The Role of Secure Boot and How to Enable it

July 11, 2024

Enhancing SBC Security | The Role of Secure Boot & How to Enable It

Secure Boot is a fundamental security measure that helps maintain the reliability and security of industrial single board computers in critical applications.

Why is Secure Boot crucial?

  • Integrity and Authenticity: Secure Boot ensures that only trusted, authenticated software runs on the device. It verifies the digital signature of the firmware and operating system at boot time, to ensure they have not been tampered with. This helps prevent unauthorized modifications and malware infections.
  • Protection Against Malware: By verifying the bootloader and operating system, Secure Boot helps protect the SBC from rootkits and bootkits that can compromise the system at a very low level, often making them hard to detect and remove.
  • Prevention of Unauthorized Software: Secure Boot helps prevent unauthorized or potentially harmful software from running on the device. This is important in critical applications such as industrial control, smart cities and embedded systems in large equipment and vehicles.
  • Maintaining System Integrity: In IoT and edge computing environments, SBCs often operate in remote or unsecured locations. Secure Boot helps ensure the device’s integrity over its operational lifetime, making it harder for attackers to insert malicious code or exploit vulnerabilities.
  • Compliance and Security Standards: Many industries have specific security standards and regulations. Implementing Secure Boot can help meet these requirements, ensuring the device is compliant with industry best practices and legal obligations.
  • Enhanced Trust in Connected Ecosystems: Single board computers are part of larger connected ecosystems. Secure Boot enhances the overall security of the system by ensuring each device in the network can be trusted.

The latest update on the Gateworks Wiki includes significant details about the enablement process. By implementing a robust chain of trust, utilizing i.MX 8M High Assurance Boot (HAB) and supporting encrypted boot and Full Disk Encryption (FDE), Venice SBCs are well-equipped to meet the security demands of modern applications.

The Venice Secure Boot Wiki Covers:

  1. General Notes
  2. Chain of Trust
  3. i.MX 8M High Assurance Boot (HAB)
  4. i.MX Secure Boot
  5. HABv4 Encrypted Boot Architecture
  6. Trusted Execution Environment (TEE)
    • Open Portable Trusted Execution Environment (OP-TEE)
    • OP-TEE on Venice
  7. Full Disk Encryption (FDE)
    • Components of FDE using LUKS
    • Kernel and DTB
    • Ramdisk Creation
      • Option1: Downloading a Prebuilt Ramdisk and Modifying
      • Option2: Creating Buildroot Ramdisk
    • Using the Ramdisk and Custom Init Script
    • Configuring Bootargs for Different Init Script Use Cases
    • Confirming Working Operation of Individual Components
      • Choosing the Boot Method for Secure System Setup
      • Option 1 – Using an External FIT Image
      • FIT Image Background Information
      • Generation of Signed FIT Image
      • Getting FIT Key into U-Boot Proper and Verifying Signed Images
      • Option 2 – Embed the kernel/dtb/ramdisk in the U-Boot ITB
  8. Locking Down U-Boot Environment and Shell
  9. TPMv2.0
    • Using the TPM with the Init Script
    • Final U-boot Flash.bin and FIT Image
    • Provisioning
    • Further TPM Reading/Sources

For detailed guidance on implementing secure boot, visit the Gateworks Support Wiki HERE.