On How FPGAs Are Changing the Computer Security Panorama: an Educational Survey

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are becoming a constant in datacenters, wireless sensor networks, and HPC field. Thanks to a remarkable flexibility and a high parallelism degree, FPGAs are the platform for creating custom adaptable circuits after manufacturing. The pervasiveness of FPGAs translates into a paramount priority of hardware security issues. Indeed, attacks on hardware-based solutions could lead to physical damage to a device or information leakage. With this work, we are reviewing the State of the Art and presenting a summary of security threats and possible countermeasures for FPGA-based systems.