Securing PCB design collaboration through tiered access controls and secure cloud environments.
In today's interconnected world, engineering teams are increasingly global, collaborating across time zones and continents to bring complex products to market faster. This collaborative spirit, while driving innovation, introduces significant security challenges, particularly in sensitive fields like printed circuit board (PCB) design. Protecting intellectual property and customer data is paramount, demanding sophisticated solutions that balance accessibility with stringent security.
Let's explore the evolving landscape of security in PCB design, from common collaborative scenarios to the critical demands of high-stakes industries.
1. Scenario one: Global teams, one PCB design. Picture this: A single, complex PCB design being developed simultaneously by engineers in Bangalore and Phoenix. Using today’s advanced technologies, the project assigns three PCB designers working simultaneously in this same design layout in one eight-hour shift. The advantage of this team approach is that the project gets 24 manhours of effort out of a single eight-hour shift. No one is required to work overtime, leading to a good work-life balance. Then, the team in Arizona hands off this same design to its international cohort: three designers located in a time zone 12.5 hours away.
Adding in their eight-hour shift provides an additional 24 manhours of effort. Then another handoff occurs, sending the in-process PCB design tasks back to the team in Arizona. This back-and-forth process (team effort) continues until the job is complete.
Let’s look at this approach from a bird’s eye view: In one working business day (a 24-hour period), the team produced a total of 48 manhours of effort on the PCB design layout. This same process is repeated for five straight business days. Now let’s do the math.
Based on 48 manhours per day over five days, at the end of that business week the team produced 240 manhours of effort. This multiuser team approach thus produced six weeks (1.5 months) of man effort in one week (five business days). This is a significant reduction in design cycle time, and a game-changer approach to PCB design!
While this distributed model accelerates development cycles, it inherently multiplies security vulnerabilities. Data, including schematics, layouts and component libraries, must traverse international networks, each with varying security protocols and legal frameworks. The challenge lies in ensuring consistent data integrity, controlling access to sensitive design blocks, and preventing unauthorized duplication or modification across diverse geographical locations and potentially different corporate networks. A single compromised endpoint or an insecure data transfer method could expose the entire design, leading to significant financial losses – or worse, ruined industry reputation.
2. Scenario two: Interdependent PCBs, varying security clearances. Consider a complex system, such as an autonomous vehicle or a sophisticated industrial control unit, comprising multiple PCBs. One team might be designing the powertrain control board, another the sensor fusion module, and a third the human-machine interface (HMI). Each of these PCBs, while part of the same system, may have different levels of design sensitivity or require engineers with specific security clearances. The powertrain board, for instance, might contain highly proprietary algorithms, while the HMI board might be less critical. The challenge here is to enable seamless collaboration on the overall system integration while strictly enforcing granular access control. Think back to scenario #1, a team consisting of US and international personnel, which is not uncommon today. How do you allow an engineer to see the interface specifications for a connected board without granting full access to its highly confidential internal design? Today’s advanced EDA tools can assign respective team members to specific project roles and grant access to specific security levels and content. When it comes to addressing and controlling International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) content and access to specific systems, this is crucial and must be carefully addressed. A breach or compromise of data subject to ITAR can lead to serious consequences, including both civil and criminal penalties, depending on the severity and nature of the violation.
3. Aerospace/military challenges: The gravity of a security breach. For industries like aerospace and defense, the stakes are exponentially higher. A security breach in PCB design for a fighter jet, a satellite or a missile defense system isn’t just about intellectual property theft; it can directly compromise national security, endanger lives and erode public trust. Unauthorized access could lead to:
- Theft of critical design specifications, giving adversaries a direct pathway to replicate or counter advanced technologies.
- Introduction of malicious code or design flaws that could lead to system failures, backdoors or performance degradation during critical operations.
- Operational compromise. Exposure of vulnerabilities that could be exploited in real-world scenarios, impacting mission success and personnel safety.
The consequences are catastrophic, making robust security not merely a best practice, but an absolute imperative.
Protecting customer data in a collaborative world. Beyond specific scenarios as discussed in the scenarios above, the overarching question for any organization is: how do you protect customer data and your IP despite the undeniable need for collaborative work? The traditional approach of isolated design environments hinders efficiency, while open collaboration risks exposure. The key is to find a balance where data are accessible only to those who need it, when they need it, and under controlled conditions. This requires a shift from perimeter-based security to a data-centric approach, where the focus is on protecting the data, regardless of their location or the user accessing them. Trust, compliance and reputation are all on the line.
The answer lies in implementing a comprehensive security framework built around two core pillars: a tiered/restricted access and a secured cloud-based environment.
Tiered/restricted access (role-based access control). RBAC involves defining precise roles and permissions for every user within the design environment. Instead of an all-or-nothing approach, access is granted based on the principle of least privilege.
- Granular permissions. An engineer might have “read-only” access to a specific sub-circuit, “edit” access to their assigned design block, and “no access” to highly sensitive sections.
- Version control integration. Access controls are tied to specific design versions, ensuring that only authorized personnel can make changes or revert to previous states.
- Audit trails. Every action is logged, providing a clear, immutable record of who accessed what, when and what changes were made, crucial for compliance and forensic analysis.
Secured cloud-based environment. Moving PCB design collaboration to a purpose-built, secure cloud platform offers significant advantages over traditional on-premises or ad-hoc solutions.
- Centralized data management. All design data resides in a single, secure repository, eliminating fragmented data across multiple local drives.
- Robust encryption. Data are encrypted both in transit (e.g., via TLS/SSL) and at rest (e.g., AES-256), protecting them from interception or unauthorized access.
- Scalable security infrastructure. Cloud providers invest heavily in cutting-edge security measures, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems and regular vulnerability assessments, often exceeding what individual companies can maintain.
- Compliance certifications. Reputable cloud platforms adhere to industry-specific compliance standards (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2, ITAR for defense), providing a certified secure environment.
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA). Adds an essential layer of security, requiring users to verify their identity through multiple methods.
- Disaster recovery and business continuity. Cloud platforms offer built-in redundancy and backup solutions, ensuring data availability even in the event of unforeseen disruptions.
Combining granular access controls with the inherent security benefits of a dedicated cloud platform fosters seamless global collaboration while maintaining the highest levels of data integrity and confidentiality. This strategic approach not only protects invaluable intellectual property but also builds customer trust and ensures compliance in an increasingly complex and interconnected engineering landscape.
Stephen V. Chavez is a senior printed circuit engineer with three decades’ experience. In his current role as a senior product marketing manager with Siemens EDA, his focus is on developing methodologies that assist customers in adopting a strategy for resilience and integrating the design-to-source intelligence insights from Supplyframe into design for resilience. He is an IPC Certified Master Instructor Trainer (MIT) for PCB design, IPC CID+, and a Certified Printed Circuit Designer (CPCD). He is chairman of the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA); This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
