OVERVIEW OF MODERN AUTHENTICATION METHODS FOR MICROCONTROLLERS

The paper is devoted to the study of modern authentication methods for microcontrollers, which play a crucial role in today's technological landscape. Microcontrollers serve as the foundation for most embedded devices used in various sectors, including consumer electronics, automotive systems, industrial equipment, and medical devices. They perform essential functions related to the control, monitoring, and management of numerous processes and systems. Given the widespread adoption of microcontrollers in critical infrastructures, ensuring their security has become a top priority. Authentication of microcontrollers is vital for preventing unauthorized access and cyberattacks, which could lead to serious consequences such as data breaches, system control, or failures in critical services. The paper examines the significance of microcontroller security in modern technologies and explores the potential risks arising from the use of unsecured microcontrollers. It also analyzes the state-of-the-art authentication methods used to protect microcontrollers. Special attention is given to comparing different approaches to authentication, which include both traditional and novel methods based on cryptography, physically unclonable functions (PUF), and biometrics. For each method, the paper outlines its advantages, disadvantages, and application areas, along with an assessment of their effectiveness in various security scenarios. Furthermore, the paper presents the results of practical implementation of some authentication methods in real-world examples, which demonstrate their viability and effectiveness in securing modern systems. The authors also suggest future research directions in this field, particularly the development of new authentication methods that combine high reliability with ease of implementation in the context of rapidly evolving technologies and cyber threats.