Tamper mesh PCB design

[bashar_aba]

Hi

Any thoughts/ideas about how to best tackle the issue of designing a tamper mesh PCB? Any requirements? I know it would use a thin-film material but can't find specific requirements on routing and the layout.

Regards

[robertferanec]

What do you mean by "tamper mesh PCB"?

[bashar_aba]

It's a thin film PCB built specifically for external tamper protection. Basically it's a way on informing the secure module inside the CPU that a tamper attack has happened. Followed by a tamper response (whatever it might be).

[robertferanec]

I have never done that. I am interested to know more if someone has more information.

[anovickis]

here's a good description of how tamper mesh works in a chip,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62DGIUpscnY

same concept applies to PCB - basically it's a web of traces surrounding the real traces in every dimension - The web is made in such a way that you can detect a break, perhaps a break with a bypass, or perhaps even a change in some characteristic, thereby letting the circuit know that some tampering or attempts to circumvent the intended operation of the circuit is occuring. I'm not a big fan of this, and since I have seen it broken many times - I question it's effectiveness. You might find this sort of thing on secure entry id card readers or payment card scanners and perhaps also on some satellite TV decoders.

[robertferanec]

here's a good description of how tamper mesh works in a chip,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62DGIUpscnY

Interesting video

anovickis thanks