VE-VIDES Initiative Unveils Trustworthy Design & Verification Framework for IoT Security

Infineon Technologies is spearheading a joint research initiative that brings together industry leaders and academic experts to create a comprehensive security strategy for the Internet of Things (IoT). The program focuses on a new intellectual‑property (IP) design and verification flow that guarantees trustworthiness in security‑critical electronic systems.

The “Design Methods and Hardware/Software Co‑Verification for the Unique Identifiability of Electronic Components” (VE‑VIDES) project involves twelve partners and is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of its Trustworthy Electronics (ZEUS) programme. VE‑VIDES systematically uncovers security gaps during the design phase and deploys automatically generated, trustworthy mechanisms to shield electronic systems from attacks. It also ensures that hardware and its direct interfaces to software and firmware are trustworthy.

By integrating trustworthiness into the architecture level from the outset, VE‑VIDES develops verification processes that provide verifiable—and whenever possible quantifiable—protection against adversarial actions. The resulting design methods, toolchains, and test suites will form the backbone of future development tools for trustworthy electronics, thereby strengthening Germany’s and Europe’s technical sovereignty.

Key attack vectors addressed include:

• Internet‑based hacking that exploits intentional backdoors, trojans, or overlooked vulnerabilities to alter system behaviour or exfiltrate data.
• Electronic, optical, or physical attacks on integrated circuits aimed at stealing intellectual property or tampering with data.

According to the CVE‑MITRE database, eliminating hardware‑level trustworthiness vulnerabilities can reduce overall system vulnerability by up to 43 %. While system‑level safeguards such as access control and redundancy already mitigate risks, VE‑VIDES offers a holistic security concept that enhances development processes and integration across global supply chains.

VE‑VIDES adopts an application‑oriented strategy, uniting companies from automotive, Industry 4.0, and other critical sectors with suppliers, developers, and research institutions.

“Electronic systems underpin almost every facet of modern life, making them essential for safety, efficiency, and sustainability,” says Djones Lettnin, head of the alliance project at Infineon. “VE‑VIDES is dedicated to securing the trustworthiness of system hardware while ensuring seamless interfaces with reliable firmware and software.”

Participating partners include:

• CARIAD SE
• Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS (EAS division)
• Infineon Technologies AG
• IMMS Institut für Mikroelektronik‑und Mechatronik‑Systeme gemeinnützige GmbH
• OFFIS e.V. – Institute for Information Technology
• OneSpin, a Siemens company
• Robert Bosch GmbH
• Siemens AG
• Synopsys GmbH
• Chemnitz University of Technology
• Ulm University
• X‑FAB Global Services GmbH