Hardware Trojan Detection Using an Advised Genetic Algorithm Based Logic Testing

Today, outsourced manufacturing of integrated circuit designs are prone to a range of malicious modifications of the circuitry called Hardware Trojans. HTs can alter the functionality of a circuit, leak secret information and initiate other possible malicious actions. HTs are activated in a very rare condition known by an intruder. Therefore, a group of HT detection methods tries to activate the HT circuitry by crafting test vectors. In this paper, we propose a logic testing based HT detection method using an advised genetic algorithm which creates effective test vectors, the so-called TRIAGE (hardware TR ojan detectI on using an A dvised G enetic algorithm based logic tE sting). The key contribution of this paper is to present a proper fitness function for the genetic algorithm providing better evaluation of the test vectors. The controllability, observability and transition probability factors of rare nodes have been considered in the fitness function. Simulation results indicate 80% reduction in generation time for test sets (on average) as compared to the previous work. On the other hand, reduced generation time for test vectors has been associated with an increase in trigger coverage. The coverage of the TRIAGE method for very hard to trigger Trojans increases by about 23% due to high efficiency of the proposed fitness function for the genetic algorithm.