The important arithmetic operations over finite fields include multiplication and exponentiation. An exponentiation operation can be implemented using a series of squaring and multiplication operations over GF($2^m$) using the binary method. Hence, it is important to develop a fast algorithm and efficient hardware for multiplication. This paper presents an efficient bit-serial systolic array for MSB-first multiplication in GF($2^m$) based on the polynomial representation. As compared to the related multipliers, the proposed systolic multiplier gains advantages in terms of input-pin and area-time complexity. Furthermore, it has regularity, modularity, and unidirectional data flow, and thus is well suited to VLSI implementation