Secure Analog-to-Digital Converters for IoT Devices: Challenges and Future Directions

Strategic Insights -

Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has highlighted the emerging need for secure analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) in Internet of Things (IoT) devices. With the increasing deployment of these devices at the edge, outside of a trusted computing base, there is a potential for various eavesdropping and tampering attacks that can compromise the privacy and integrity of sensor data. To address this issue, researchers have been exploring methods to secure ADCs, including recent work in the field of ADC security.

Key Takeaways:

  • The traditional power, performance, and area parameters of ADCs are no longer sufficient, as the emerging requirement for ADC-security has become a crucial consideration.
  • The potential for eavesdropping and tampering attacks on ADCs at the edge can have a severe impact on the privacy and integrity of sensor data.
  • Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are exploring methods to secure ADCs, including the analysis of recent work in the field of ADC security.
  • The study emphasizes the importance of secure ADCs in commercial systems, with the aim of preventing potential attacks and protecting sensor data.
  • The researchers highlight that secure ADCs are essential for the successful deployment of IoT devices in commercial systems.
  • The study includes contributions from Maitreyi Ashok, Ruicong Chen, Taehoon Jeong, Anantha P. Chandrakasan, and Hae-Seung Lee.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the Proceedings of the IEEE.

Statistics:

  • In the last five years, there has been a growing need for ADCs-security in IoT devices. (Source: VerticalNews)
  • The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been at the forefront of research in ADC security, with a team of researchers exploring new methods to secure ADCs. (Source: VerticalNews)
  • The study reports that countermeasures to prevent tampering attacks on ADCs include analog error-value feedback and hardware obfuscation. (Source: Protecting the Mixed-signal Domain: Secure Adcs for Internet of Things Devices)
  • The research concludes that secure ADCs are essential for preventing attacks and protecting sensor data in IoT devices. (Source: Protecting the Mixed-signal Domain: Secure Adcs for Internet of Things Devices)
  • The study highlights the need for further research in ADC security to ensure the successful deployment of secure ADCs in commercial systems. (Source: Protecting the Mixed-signal Domain: Secure Adcs for Internet of Things Devices)

Sources:

  • VerticalNews. 2025 OCT 13. Studies Conducted at Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Technology Recently Reported (Protecting the Mixed-signal Domain: Secure Adcs for Internet of Things Devices). Journal of Engineering. October 13, 2025; p 4380.
  • Proceedings of the IEEE. 2025. Protecting the Mixed-signal Domain: Secure Adcs for Internet of Things Devices.