Lower Voltage for Higher Security: Using Voltage Overscaling to Secure Deep Neural Networks

Abstract

Deep neural networks (DNNs) are shown to be vulnerable to adversarial attacks—carefully crafted additive noise that undermines DNNs integrity. Previously proposed defenses against these attacks require substantial overheads, making it challenging to deploy these solutions in power and computational resource-constrained devices, such as embedded systems and the Edge. In this paper, we explore the use of voltage over-scaling (VOS) as a lightweight defense against adversarial attacks. Specifically, we exploit the stochastic timing violations of VOS to implement a moving-target defense for DNNs. Our experimental results demonstrate that VOS guarantees effective defense against different attack methods, does not require any software/hardware modifications, and offers a by-product reduction in power consumption.