Aliya Sternstein writes the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will lead a team of developers to build the Supply Chain Hardware Integrity for Electronics Defense chip under a four-year project.
SHIELD will be designed to carry a code to be unlocked with a digital key stored in the manufacturerâs computer server, according to the report.
The remote server will then work to send a security question to the chip, which then transmits an encrypted response to the server for confirmation, the report says.
Sternstein writes the chip will also be built with an automated self-destruct feature that activates on unauthorized access or reverse engineering attempts.
A new Defense Department regulation scheduled to take effect this month will direct original manufacturers to develop a system for identifying forged electronic components, Nextgov reports.