- Physical attacks and "tamper resistance"
- Side-channel attacks and countermeasures
- Introduction to lightweight cryptography
- Security for smart card and radio frequency identification tags (RFID-tags)
- Design for physical unclonable functions (PUFs) and true random number generators
- Personal integrity in the Internet-of-Things era
IL1333 Hardware Security 7.5 credits
This course in Hardware Security equips you with the cutting-edge skills to protect electronic systems from sophisticated physical and side-channel attacks while balancing performance and cost considerations. In an increasingly connected world, the security of hardware systems is paramount. The need for robust, tamper-resistant solutions, from smart cards to RFID tags and IoT devices, is critical.
Information per course offering
Choose semester and course offering to see current information and more about the course, such as course syllabus, study period, and application information.
Information for Spring 2026 Start 13 Jan 2026 programme students
- Course location
KTH Campus
- Duration
- 13 Jan 2026 - 13 Mar 2026
- Periods
- P3 (7.5 hp)
- Pace of study
50%
- Application code
60208
- Form of study
Normal Daytime
- Language of instruction
English
- Course memo
- Course memo is not published
- Number of places
25 - 100
- Target group
Open to all programmes as long as it can be included in your programme.
- Planned modular schedule
- [object Object]
- Schedule
- Schedule is not published
- Part of programme
Bachelor's Programme in Information and Communication Technology, åk 2, Recommended
Bachelor's Programme in Information and Communication Technology, åk 3, Recommended
Degree Programme in Computer Engineering, åk 2, Recommended
Degree Programme in Computer Engineering, åk 3, DPU2, Recommended
Degree Programme in Computer Engineering, åk 3, SAIN, Mandatory
Degree Programme in Electronics and Computer Engineering, åk 3, Recommended
Degree Programme in Information and Communication Technology, åk 2, Conditionally Elective
Degree Programme in Information and Communication Technology, åk 3, Conditionally Elective
Master's Programme, Communication Systems, åk 1, ITE, Recommended
Master's Programme, Communication Systems, åk 1, SMK, Recommended
Master's Programme, Communication Systems, åk 1, TRN, Recommended
Master's Programme, Cybersecurity, åk 1, Conditionally Elective
Master's Programme, Cybersecurity, åk 2, Conditionally Elective
Contact
Course syllabus as PDF
Please note: all information from the Course syllabus is available on this page in an accessible format.
Course syllabus IL1333 (Spring 2024–)Headings with content from the Course syllabus IL1333 (Spring 2024–) are denoted with an asterisk ( )
Content and learning outcomes
Course contents
Intended learning outcomes
Having passed the course, the student shall be able to
- describe state-of-the-art hardware security techniques and justify their applications and limitations
- describe how the safety is guaranteed in an illustrating application
- describe the threats against a system from hardware perspective and available countermeasures and apply the knowledge to choose an appropriate set of countermeasures for a certain threat assessment.
- analyse and make a critical balance between the performance, cost and safety of the system and illustrate compromises that are available for design engineers of electronic and embedded systems
- explain the need of hardware security primitives and justify advantages and disadvantages with the different primitives and choose an appropriate primitive for a specific application
- use the knowledge to build a small electronic or embedded system for increased safety and explain how the safety is guaranteed in the system.
Literature and preparations
Specific prerequisites
Knowledge in digital design, 6 credits, corresponding to completed course IE1204/IE1205.
Course from Upper Secondary School equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English B/6.
Literature
You can find information about course literature either in the course memo for the course offering or in the course room in Canvas.
Examination and completion
If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.
Grading scale
A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
Examination
- LABA - Laboratory work, 2.5 credits, grading scale: P, F
- PROA - Project, 1.0 credits, grading scale: P, F
- TENA - Written exam, 4.0 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.
The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.
Examiner
Ethical approach
- All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
- In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
- In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.
Further information
Course room in Canvas
Registered students find further information about the implementation of the course in the course room in Canvas. A link to the course room can be found under the tab Studies in the Personal menu at the start of the course.
Offered by
Main field of study
Technology
Education cycle
First cycle
Transitional regulations
Students who have taken but not completed the course are offered to complete those missing course components.
Supplementary information
In this course, the EECS code of honor applies, see: http://www.kth.se/en/eecs/utbildning/hederskodex.