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The Missing Piece in Aerospace & Defense Security: Hardware Validation

Modern aerospace and defense platforms rely on increasingly complex embedded systems like avionics modules, cryptographic processors, navigation units, secure communications hardware, and custom SoCs. These devices are engineered to the highest standards, yet as they become more interconnected and software‑driven, their attack surface expands.

One threat category is increasingly used by adversaries while remaining systematically under‑addressed in validation workflows: hardware‑level exploitation.

And with rising global security pressures, hardware security testing is no longer optional.

The Threat Landscape: More Than Software Security

Modern aerospace and defense systems operate in environments where traditional software security is necessary, but no longer sufficient.

Hardware‑level attacks exploit the physical behavior of a device in ways software cannot detect or prevent. Techniques such as voltage glitching, clock manipulation, electromagnetic pulse injection, and laser fault injection allow adversaries to disrupt a chip at exactly the right moment. With precise timing, these methods can:

All without leaving a trace in logs or software monitoring. Once an attacker learns how a device responds to fault conditions, that knowledge can often be applied to compromise other devices of the same kind at scale, often without repeated physical access.

For aerospace and defense organizations, the stakes are uniquely high. A compromised avionics controller, a secure communications module with an extractable key, or a field‑deployed system forced into an insecure state represents not just a product failure, but a mission and national security risk.

The question is whether your organization is testing the robustness of products against these type of attacks before equipment reaches the field — or leaving that discovery to an adversary.

Build Your Next-Gen Device Security Test Lab

Design a flexible, scalable, and future-ready security lab tailored to your embedded system needs. Whether you are testing for compliance, validating resilience, or securing devices before deployment, Keysight’s modular architecture lets you build an environment that evolves with your mission.

At the heart of every configuration is the DS1050A Embedded Security Testbench. Built on a high-speed PXIe architecture, it forms the foundation for all levels of hardware security testing.

It combines:

Together, they replace fragmented multi-instrument setups with a compact, integrated environment that reduces setup complexity and accelerates time-to-insight.

Once the DS1050A is in place, you expand your lab by adding specialized solutions on top, each one unlocking a new dimension.

1. Essential - Power and Clock Testing

Adds the Power/Clock solution, enabling:

This level covers the most common hardware attack vectors across embedded cryptographic devices, secure boot implementations, and SoCs. It is the ideal starting point for organizations formalizing hardware security testing.

2. Advanced - Introducing the Electromagnetic Dimension

Builds on Essential by adding an Electromagnetic (EM) solution.

Enables:

This reflects the reality that adversaries use multiple physical attack vectors — and your validation program should too.

3. Expert - Full-Spectrum Validation with Optical (Laser) Testing

Completes the configuration by adding an Optical (Laser) solution.

Enables:

Designed for high-assurance systems, secure element testing, supply chain assurance, and Common Criteria evaluation support.

Each level builds on the previous one, allowing your lab to scale without redesign. As the threat landscape evolves, so does your ability to respond.

Precision FI for Mission-Critical Devices: DS1070A

Within the Next-Generation Embedded Security Testbench, one component plays a uniquely critical role in fault injection campaigns: the DS1070A Glitch Pattern Generator. For aerospace and defense teams validating high‑assurance systems, it provides the precision and control needed to uncover vulnerabilities beyond the reach of software testing.

Fault injection works by introducing carefully timed disturbances during sensitive operations, such as cryptographic computations or secure boot checks. If delivered at exactly the right moment and with the right waveform, faults can trigger unintended behavior: skipped instructions, corrupted authentication logic, disabled countermeasures, unlocked features, or leaked keys.

Achieving this demands two things: precise timing and accurate waveform shaping.

The DS1070A delivers both:

Purpose-built for advanced hardware security workflows, the DS1070A provides the repeatability, speed, and confidence required to evaluate mission‑critical devices under realistic adversarial conditions.

Key Use Cases for Aerospace and Defense

Hardware security validation needs vary across a device’s lifecycle. From supply‑chain intake to field deployment, different threat scenarios demand different testing approaches.

Supply Chain Integrity Validation

A&D systems rely on components sourced globally. Documentation alone cannot confirm whether a part contains hidden weaknesses or modifications. SCA and FI provide evidence‑based verification of a component’s true behavior before it is integrated into mission‑critical platforms.

Pre-Deployment Validation of Mission-Critical Hardware

Before avionics controllers, cryptographic processors, or secure communications units reach operators, they must be validated against physical attack techniques, not just software checks. The DS1070A-equipped testbench lets engineers evaluate resilience using the same methods a sophisticated adversary would apply.

Lost Equipment: Protecting Sensitive Data

If hardware containing classified firmware, mission data, or cryptographic keys is lost in the field, its protections must withstand determined physical attack. FI testing reveals whether attackers could extract keys, bypass secure boot, or force insecure modes.

Continuous Security Assurance Across the Product Lifecycle

Security is not a one‑time event. Firmware updates, new threat intelligence, and evolving adversarial techniques require ongoing validation. The Python‑scriptable, extensible architecture of the DS1050A and Inspector Software allows repeatable campaigns across revisions without rebuilding your lab.

From Compliance to Confidence

The aerospace and defense sector has long recognized that security cannot be treated as a final‑stage checkbox. The DS1050A Next‑Generation Embedded Security Testbench, anchored by the DS1070A Glitch Pattern Generator, is designed for organizations that understand this reality and are ready to operationalize it.

Whether you are building a device security lab from the ground up, expanding an existing capability, or validating mission‑critical hardware against specific threat scenarios, Keysight’s modular architecture provides a clear and scalable path forward.

Ready to build or expand your device security test lab? Learn more.

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