Implementation of a Hash-based Secure Core for Integrity and Authentication of Data in Space Applications on Space-grade FPGAs

Space applications, encompassing satellites, space stations, and ground-based infrastructure, are increasingly reliant on interconnected digital systems to function efficiently. This connectivity, while enabling advanced capabilities, also exposes these assets to a spectrum of cybersecurity threats. Governmental agencies are attempting to stem this problem by issuing and updating a series of reports and standards through the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS). In this work, we present the hardware implementation of a Hash-based Message Authentication (HMAC) core for providing integrity and authentication according to the latest CCSDS security standards. The module was developed using HDL (SystemVerilog) and synthesized on both space-grade FPGAs and a standard-cell technology at 7 nm. The results of the implementation on space-grade FPGAs show that our HMAC core is the solution that consumes the least energy per bit when compared to the other authenticated integrity cores approved by the CCSDS. In addition, our solution outperforms the other existing HMAC modules from the state-of-the-art in terms of efficiency and energy costs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first in the literature that reports the implementation of a hardware HMAC core on space-grade FPGAs and compliant with the CCSDS specifications. Accordingly, this is also the first work that presents a comparison between different secure modules approved by the CCSDS in terms of security strength and performance, as well as the first one documenting the implementation of a full hardware HMAC core on an extremely scaled standard-cell technology at 7 nm.