Microelectronics are the silent foundation of modern power, embedded in everything from smartphones to satellites. Yet as chips become more complex and globally interconnected, they also become more vulnerable. Hardware is no longer just a platform for software. It is itself a target for exploitation. Supply chain tampering, counterfeiting, and hidden vulnerabilities can compromise not only individual devices but also entire networks. Erik Hosler, whose expertise bridges innovation and national security strategy, highlights that resilience begins with trust at the hardware level. His perspective highlights the urgent need to design microelectronics that are secure by default, tamper-resistant, and reliable enough to protect both economic and defense systems.
The United States has recognized that building secure microelectronics is as critical as ensuring their availability. Billions invested in new fabs will mean little if the chips they produce cannot be trusted. From military systems to financial infrastructure, the stakes extend well beyond consumer electronics. Designing for resilience requires both technical innovation and strategic foresight.
Why Hardware Security Matters
While cybersecurity often focuses on software, the hardware underneath is just as vulnerable. A malicious backdoor in a chip cannot be patched easily, and a compromised supply chain can embed flaws before a device is even deployed. Unlike software vulnerabilities, which can often be addressed with updates, hardware vulnerabilities may persist throughout a system’s lifecycle.
This reality has significant implications for critical infrastructure. If microelectronics used in defense systems, energy grids, or healthcare devices are compromised, the consequences can be immediate and catastrophic. Hardware security is therefore not only a technical concern but also a strategic necessity. Without it, trust in entire systems collapses.
Threats in the Global Supply Chain
The semiconductor supply chain spans continents, with design, fabrication, assembly, and packaging often occurring in different countries. This complexity creates multiple points of vulnerability. Counterfeit components can be introduced, design tampering can occur during production, and malicious actors can exploit gaps in oversight.
Global tensions amplify these risks. The heavy reliance on overseas fabs means that U.S. defense and critical industries often depend on components produced in regions of geopolitical uncertainty. While cost efficiency drove globalization of the supply chain, security now demands a reassessment. A single compromised component in a communications satellite or fighter jet can undermine national defense.
Designing for Tamper Resistance
Resilience must begin with the design phase. Tamper-resistant architectures make it more difficult for attackers to alter or reverse engineer chips. Features such as secure enclaves, cryptographic protections, and hardware-level authentication help ensure that chips cannot be manipulated without detection.
In addition, tamper resistance involves developing robust testing and verification methods. Design verification at every stage, combined with advanced inspection technologies, can detect irregularities before chips are deployed. Investing in such processes may increase costs initially, but the benefits in security and trust far outweigh the expense.
Tamper resistance is not only about stopping attacks but also about ensuring confidence in systems that must operate for decades. Military aircraft, energy infrastructure, and space systems depend on chips that cannot be easily compromised. Building that assurance begins with resilient design.
Lessons from Defense Applications
Defense programs have long emphasized trusted microelectronics. The Department of Defense has supported initiatives that ensure critical systems are built with verified and secure components. This approach has generated lessons for the broader industry. While consumer markets often prioritize cost and speed, defense applications highlight the importance of trust and reliability.
Dual-use technologies demonstrate how these priorities overlap. Secure chips designed for defense can later be adapted for commercial markets, improving resilience across sectors. Conversely, commercial advances in secure design can benefit defense applications. The challenge is to integrate these lessons at a scale so that security is not confined to niche systems but becomes standard practice across industries.
Innovation Across Multiple Sectors
Meeting the challenge of secure microelectronics requires collaboration. Erik Hosler emphasizes, “It’s going to involve innovation across multiple different sectors.” His perspective reinforces that hardware security is not confined to the semiconductor industry alone. Advances in materials science, cryptography, design automation, and manufacturing equipment must all converge.
Cross-sector innovation is particularly important in addressing threats such as side channel attacks and advanced tampering. Materials research can create chips that are more resistant to physical intrusion, while design software can integrate automated security checks. Government, academia, and industry must coordinate to ensure that no weak link undermines progress.
Policy and Standards as Enablers
Technical measures are essential, but policy provides the framework that ensures consistency. Standards for secure hardware design, supply chain verification, and testing protocols must be established and enforced. Without clear guidelines, security practices remain uneven and leave gaps that adversaries can exploit.
The U.S. government has a critical role in establishing these standards and incentivizing compliance. Through programs that support trusted suppliers, certification processes, and procurement requirements, policymakers can shape an ecosystem where secure design becomes the default. International cooperation also plays a role. Aligning standards with allies ensures that secure supply chains extend beyond U.S. borders.
Building Trustworthy Systems for the Future
Designing for resilience is not only about reacting to threats but also about anticipating them. As microelectronics continue to develop, so will the tactics of those who seek to exploit them. Building systems that can adapt, detect, and recover from attacks is just as important as preventing them in the first place.
For the United States, it means embedding resilience into every layer of the microelectronics ecosystem, from research labs to mass production. Trustworthy systems enable innovation, economic growth, and military readiness. Without them, investments in fabs and compute capacity risk being undermined by insecurity.
Building trustworthy systems also reinforces global confidence. Allies and partners are more likely to adopt U.S. technologies when they are proven to be secure and resilient. In this way, hardware security is not just a domestic priority but a tool of international influence.
Securing the Foundations of Leadership
Microelectronics are more than technical components. They are the bedrock of national power in a digital age. Ensuring their trustworthiness requires more than scaling production. It requires designing with resilience as a core principle.
The path forward demands collaboration, innovation, and policy alignment. By integrating tamper resistance, supply chain security, and hardware verification into standard practice, the U.S. can safeguard its technological base. In a world where adversaries seek to exploit vulnerabilities, resilience becomes the true measure of leadership. By building secure microelectronics, the United States not only protects itself but also sets the standard for trust in the global technology ecosystem.
