( ESNUG 461 Item 11 ) ------------------------------------------- [01/31/07]

From: Brian Kane <bkane=user domain=cognio not balm>
Subject: How secure is the Cadence (Verplex) Conformal data encryption?

Hi, John,

We want to give our fab a flat netlist but want to avoid giving them the
hierarchical RTL of our design.  One idea was to use vpxEncode/vpxProtect
in Cadence (Verplex) Conformal to encrypt our source code.  The fab would
like to verify our final netlist vs. our RTL but we want it done without
exposing our RTL.  The Verplex manuals say it can read in the encrypted
files and be able to use them as the golden design to verify vs. the
final netlist.  I see a few potential issues:

  1.) How generally secure is Verplex encrypted data?  Has any outsider
      cracked it?

  2.) Can the Cadence Verplex guys (who are friends with our fab) enable
      our fab to decrypt our encrypted designs?

  3.) What is visible in the Verplex tool to its user after the encrypted
      netlist has been read as the golden netlist?  Is the hierarchy now
      visible?

  4.) If we give out our hierarchical RTL and our flat netlist, both in
      Verplex/Conformal encryption, can people still do compares of
      both designs in Conformal?  (i.e. are the designs still usable
      in Verplex/Conformal after encrption?)

I'd appreciate any info on these questions.  It's been next to impossible
to get such info elsewhere on vpxEncode/vpxProtect.  They are supposed to
encrypt your source code, but still leave it readable by Verplex.  Do your
readers know if its easy to reverse engineer the encryption?

    - Brian Kane
      Cognio, Inc.                               Germantown, MD