When I started working as a processor supplier back in the early 2000s, the biggest conversations around our chips were clock speed, core count, and how well they ran the latest office software or first-person shooters. Those still matter, sure—everyone wants a chip that can edit 4K video without lag or keep up with a marathon gaming session. But over the past decade, the conversation has shifted in a way no one saw coming: processor security isn’t just a side feature. It’s the foundation of modern computing, and if you skimp on it, every other piece of hardware and software you build on top of it is at risk of falling apart. Processor
I learned this lesson firsthand a few years ago, when a major client of ours came to us panicking. They’d built a line of edge devices for small retail businesses—things like self-checkout stations, inventory scanners, and price tag printers. They’d gone with a competitor’s cheaper processor, figured security was handled by the software they loaded on top of the chip. Then a group of white hat researchers found a flaw in that processor that let attackers bypass the OS entirely, steal credit card data from the checkout terminals, and take over hundreds of devices remotely. That client lost millions in fines from payment card companies, had to pull every device from store shelves, and switched to our processors within 90 days. That moment drove home something I still tell my team every week: the processor is the first line of defense, not the last.
Modern computing lives on a web of interconnected devices, and processors are the backbone of all of it. We’re not just talking about laptops or desktops anymore—though those are still critical. We’re talking about the smart thermostat in your home, the security camera that streams to your phone, the delivery drone dropping off a package at your door, the medical monitor that tracks a hospital patient’s heart rate, and the factory robots building cars on an assembly line. Every single one of these has a processor, and every single one is a target for bad actors. Processor security isn’t just about protecting personal data anymore—it’s about protecting life-saving medical care, keeping supply chains running, and stopping cybercriminals from holding entire cities hostage.
Let’s break this down a little. Processors handle every single operation a device performs. When you type a password into your laptop, the processor encrypts that password before sending it to the software. When a medical monitor reads a patient’s vital signs, the processor stores that data securely so only authorized staff can access it. If a processor has a vulnerability in its hardware-level security, there’s no software fix that can fully patch it. Software can add a lock to a door, but if the door’s frame is rotted or has a hidden gap under it, the lock doesn’t matter. That’s why hardware-level security in processors is non-negotiable.
A few years back, we rolled out a new line of processors with what we called built-in memory encryption. Early on, a lot of customers pushed back, saying it added a few cents to the cost and didn’t seem necessary. Then the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities hit in 2018. For anyone who doesn’t remember, those were flaws in how processors handled memory that let attackers steal sensitive data like passwords, encryption keys, and personal files by tricking the processor into leaking information it shouldn’t. The problem? A lot of older processors couldn’t be fully patched for these flaws because the vulnerabilities were in their core hardware design. We heard from so many customers that year: “We almost bought that cheaper chip, but glad we didn’t.” That’s when we realized our focus on processor security wasn’t just a nice-to-have—it was our reason for existing.
Now, think about edge computing. This is the big trend right now, where data is processed closer to where it’s created instead of being sent all the way to a cloud server. For example, a security camera at a warehouse doesn’t send every single frame of footage to the cloud—it processes the footage on-site to spot unusual activity, like someone breaking into a trailer. That cuts down on bandwidth costs and makes the response faster, but it also means the processor is handling all that sensitive video data on a device that might be sitting outside in a parking lot, easy to steal or tamper with. If that processor doesn’t have secure boot, a feature that only lets trusted software run on the chip, an attacker could swap out the camera’s software with malware that lets them watch the footage in real time. If the processor had built-in secure boot, that swap would be impossible without the correct cryptographic key stored on the chip. That’s the kind of protection we build into every one of our processors now—no exceptions.
Another big area is IoT, the internet of things. Gartner estimates there will be over 29 billion connected IoT devices by 2030. Every single one of those has a processor, and every single one is a potential attack vector. In 2021, we saw a botnet that took over millions of unsecured IoT devices, mostly cheap security cameras and smart bulbs, to launch a massive DDoS attack that took down major websites like Twitter, Amazon, and Netflix. The attackers used the devices to flood the websites with traffic, making them unresponsive for hours. A lot of those devices ran processors with no built-in security, so they couldn’t update their firmware to patch the vulnerabilities. That’s exactly the kind of problem we’re working to solve. Our processors have over-the-air update security built in, so even if a device is out in the field, it can download and install security patches automatically without the user having to do anything. It’s not just a feature—it’s a necessity when devices can be in use for 5 or 10 years, way past the point where most software would stop being updated.
I know what a lot of people say: “Security costs money, and fast processors cost less.” But let me tell you, the cost of a breach is way higher than the cost of building security into a processor. We’ve seen clients spend 10 times more responding to a security breach than they would have spent on our processors instead of a cheaper, less secure option. Not to mention the reputational damage. No one wants to do business with a company that lets attackers steal their customers’ data. Trust is everything in technology, and trust starts with the chip.
That’s why we pour so much of our research and development budget into processor security. We have a team of over 200 security engineers working around the clock to test our processors for vulnerabilities before they ever get to a customer. We run thousands of stress tests, simulate every possible attack we can think of, and even work with independent third-party security firms to audit our chips. We don’t wait for flaws to be discovered after our processors are in the wild. We build security into every step of the design process, from the first schematic to the final manufacturing test.
A lot of people ask me how small and medium-sized businesses can afford secure processors. The truth is, secure processor technology has come a long way. Ten years ago, built-in security features were only available on the most expensive enterprise chips. Now, they’re standard on mid-range and even many entry-level processors. We’ve worked to drive costs down because we believe every business, no matter how big, deserves the same level of security. A small café using a smart point-of-sale terminal should have the same protection for credit card data as a large corporation using 1000 laptops. It’s not a luxury—it’s a right.
Looking ahead, processor security is only going to get more important. As we move toward AI, autonomous vehicles, and smart cities, every part of our infrastructure will depend on processors. An autonomous car has dozens of processors, each handling things like braking, steering, and infotainment. If one of those has a security flaw, an attacker could take control of the car while it’s driving down the highway. That’s not a hypothetical—security researchers have already demonstrated that they can take over some modern cars remotely. The fix? Processors designed with security as a core part of their design, not an afterthought.
At the end of the day, processor security is about protecting people. It’s about making sure your credit card data doesn’t get stolen when you buy groceries. It’s about making sure your child’s school security cameras are only accessible to school staff, not hackers across the world. It’s about making sure a hospital’s medical monitors don’t get hacked, putting patients at risk. It’s about making sure businesses can innovate without worrying that their hard work will be undone by a cyberattack.
If you’re building devices, or looking to upgrade your current hardware, processor security shouldn’t be an afterthought. It should be the first thing you consider. Our processors are designed with that exact priority: every line of code, every circuit, every security feature is built to keep your data safe, your devices working, and your business secure. We don’t just sell chips—we sell peace of mind.
If you’re ready to learn more about how our processor security can benefit your projects, our team is here to walk you through every detail, answer your questions, and help you find the right solution for your needs. We’ve worked with businesses of all sizes, from startups launching their first IoT device to large corporations building next-generation infrastructure, and we’re ready to help you too.
Host Bus Adapter References
- Gartner. (2024). Forecast: IoT Endpoints, 2022–2030.
- Cohen, E., et al. (2018). Spectre and Meltdown: Hardware-based Speculative Execution Vulnerabilities. Proceedings of the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy.
- Krebs, B. (2021). The Great DDoS Attack of 2021: How IoT Devices Brought Down the Web. Krebs on Security.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2022). Hardware Security Requirements for Embedded Processors. NIST Special Publication 800-160.
- Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP). (2023). Processor Security Best Practices for IoT Developers. OWASP Foundation.
Hyllsi Technology Co., Ltd.
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