Building Server Security from the Ground Up

Servers are the foundation of modern digital infrastructure. They act as the invisible engines behind our digital lives, supporting the websites, applications, and other online services that we use each day for both personal and business use. They are also critical to artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, enabling the data storage, model training, and scalable capacity required to support high-functioning AI workloads. 

From social media apps to AI server farms, many of our contemporary digital solutions are backed by the power of disaggregated server technology. Cloud-based server architectures help to create systems that can scale and optimize compute, memory, and storage resources independently, ultimately enabling faster and more capable computing. 

These enhanced capabilities, however, come with increased risk. As systems grow more powerful, they also become more complex and interconnected—creating more opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit. Modern server ecosystems now handle more valuable data and offer more access points than ever before, making them increasingly attractive targets. On top of that, the looming threat of quantum computing brings new concerns, as its potential to break current encryption methods is closer to becoming a reality.

Staying ahead of these evolving hazards is paramount for today’s enterprises. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, it’s critical that developers and engineers reimagine the ways in which they approach server security: no longer as a post-deployment layer, but as a foundational element of their threat protection efforts. 

Evolving Threats and Emerging Challenges

Server security has never been the easiest or most straightforward process. But as computing needs increase and technological infrastructure becomes more distributed, new challenges have emerged that existing defenses were not designed to handle. These include:

• Firmware as a growing attack vector. Low-level firmware is increasingly the target of attacks. Malware implants at the firmware level can bypass operating system-level protection and persist across reboots. 
• The risks of System-on-Chip (SoC) consolidation. Combining disparate functions into a single hardware chip can reduce costs and board space, but it also creates a vulnerable single point of failure. Any compromise at the SoC level can jeopardize the entire platform.  
• Insecure provisioning and updates. Without secure update mechanisms across distributed server environments, workflows can be hijacked or otherwise compromised. 
• Inconsistent SKU protections. With diverse modules for storage, networking, AI acceleration, and beyond, variability makes it harder to enforce consistent and effective protections across entire systems. 

At the same time, evolving regulations and standards point towards more proactive and holistic server security efforts, including:

• Commercial National Security Algorithm (CNSA) 2.0, which outlines the next generation of crucial cryptographic algorithms to meet a post-quantum computing world. 
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-193, which provides specific guidelines for contemporary platform firmware resiliency efforts. 
• The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), which emphasizes secure-by-design principles across connected products and systems. 

As threats diversify and regulations continue to evolve, they create a regulatory landscape that must be met with proactive and consistent server-level protection. 

Hardware-Level Security is a Baseline Requirement

Developers must change their understanding of how server security works to safeguard against today’s evolving threats. They’ll need to prioritize security at every level of their server build—starting from the earliest stages—to augment software-level security measures with hardware-level controls.

To maintain regulatory compliance and protect server ecosystems, developers will need to start experimenting with hardware components that can enhance security—even at hyperscale. This will require solutions that support advanced security capabilities, such as:

• Secure programming and provisioning to prevent unauthorized access during component manufacturing or deployment.
• Hardware Root of Trust (HRoT) to establish a trusted environment for computing and processing needs. 
• Support for cryptographic functions including those that meet post-quantum requirements in order to safeguard against both current and future threats. 
• Standards-based attestation methods, such as Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM), in order to verify device integrity and authenticate components throughout the entire server system. 

With these kinds of capabilities baked into their hardware, developers will be able to create protected server ecosystems with consistent security. 

Creating a Flexible Foundation for Secure Server Design

While there are many options available to developers that can meet these security requirements, one in particular has become increasingly valuable for enabling cyber-resilience in the face of growing threats: Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). 

Often used for testing and development, FPGAs are now widely adopted in production environments due to their adaptability and high performance at the hardware level. These flexible semiconductor chips can be programmed ahead of time to support security measures and reprogrammed post-deployment to meet any changing needs or threats.   

FPGAs’ value is not just in their flexibility, as many models are purpose-built with security in mind. They’re often geared to support features like HRoT, secure boot, attestation, cryptographic processing and acceleration, and secure programming and provisioning. Given their adaptability, FPGAs can be updated to meet evolving security requirements as they arise, without requiring time-consuming and costly hardware replacements. 

Beyond security, FPGAs also support a range of critical computing features that align with modern server needs. These include instant-on logic for efficiency system startup and recovery, parallel processing capacity to take on high-volume processing needs, I/O consolidation and protocol bridging to simplify interoperability, and inherent scalability to support system growth while maintaining performance. 

Supporting Today’s Demanding Server Infrastructure 

Some of today’s most pressing server security issues are emerging from increasingly popular—and notably complex—AI and hyperscale environments. These server ecosystems must be high-performance and incredibly efficient to support large volume processing needs. They also carry particularly high-value assets, from proprietary AI models to sensitive training data and real-time analytics. 

As with any distributed server ecosystem, these models present broad attack surfaces to potential cyber criminals. Supply chain risks, API vulnerabilities, and model-based exploits can all breach the system and undermine security and integrity. To protect against these threats, the server environments need protections that start at the hardware level. 

Developers are already deploying FPGAs in hyperscale and AI server ecosystems to secure critical functions while supporting processing needs. These components provide systems with a reliable root of trust and deterministic performance, ensuring stability in the face of compromised firmware or software. They also provide high processing capacity with low power needs, helping reduce system energy costs and consumption. Ultimately, FPGAs with secure dual boot can maintain minimum acceptable operations during any kind of security incident, keeping AI and hyperscale systems running while under attack. 

Server Security Must Be Built In, Not Bolted On

Security must be a proactive effort, not a reactive defense. Developers will need to embed protection at every level of server design, from hardware components to software solutions, to prepare for evolving threats and ensure resilience at scale. 

FPGAs help enable this kind of proactive approach in modern ecosystems. Their adaptability, baked-in security features, and high-performance processing capabilities make them a strong base upon which teams can build secure and scalable server infrastructure.