Non-contact electromagnetic illuminated detection of part anomalies for cyber physical security

• US 10,149,169 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokomis Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nokomis Inc.
• Inventors: Keller, Walter John
• Primary Examiner(s): Moorthy, Aravind K
• Application Number:
  US15/456,822
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 726 23, 713176, 713194
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/00 Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/034 Test or assess a computer or a system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/128 Anti-malware arrangements, e.g. protection against SMS fraud or mobile malware
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data

Abstract

An apparatus for testing, inspecting or screening an electronic device for electrical characteristics, modified or unmodified hardware, or firmware modifications including Malware, Trojans, improper versioning, and the like, includes a transmitting antenna positioned at a distance from the electronic device and a electromagnetic energy receiver or sensor for examining a resulting unintentional derived electromagnetic energy from the electronic device. The receiver collects unintentional RF energy components emitted by the device and includes a processor and executable instructions that perform analysis in a response to the acquired electromagnetic energy input. The characteristics of the collected RF energy may be compared with RF energy characteristics of an exemplary device. The analysis determines one of a modified, unmodified or score of certainty of discerned condition of the device.

Claims

1. An apparatus that determines a state and/or a condition of an unpowered electrical or electronic device, comprising:

a waveform generator that generates a waveform;

a first antenna that transmits electromagnetic energy containing said waveform in a direction of the electrical or electronic device;

a second antenna that receives electromagnetic artifact(s) that are re-emitted from the electrical or electronic device due to excitation thereof with said waveform;

an RF receiver; and

a controller that controls said RF receiver, said controller comprising;

one or more processors, and

non-transitory computer readable medium containing executable or computational instructions that cause said one or more processors to perform the steps of;

developing an electromagnetic emission signature of the electrical or electronic device, said electromagnetic emission signature containing said electromagnetic artifact(s),

analyzing said developed electromagnetic emission signature, and

determining the state and/or condition of the electrical or electronic device based on said electromagnetic artifact(s) present in said electromagnetic emission signature.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said executable or said computational instructions cause said one or more processors to perform an additional step of determining modifications of or changes in a hardware, a software or a firmware to the electrical or electronic device after the step of determining the state and/or the condition thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said executable or said computational instructions cause said one or more processors to perform additional analysis and/or decision on the state and/or the condition of the electrical or electronic device based on anticipated, abnormal and/or unexpected changes, patterns or characteristics in said unintentionally re-emitted electromagnetic artifact(s).

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic artifact(s) comprise at least one of a peak location, a relative height, a spacing between peaks, relationships in spacings between peaks, a phase, an amplitude, a time, a phase noise, a timing and a polarization.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said non-transitory computer readable medium containing said executable or computational instructions cause said one or more processors to perform an additional step of determining anomalies in the electrical or electronic device and a step of preventing and/or determining cyber physical security threats based on the step of determining said anomalies.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said non-transitory computer readable medium containing said executable or computational instructions cause said one or more processors to perform an additional step of determining at least one of tampering, counterfeit parts, cloned parts, subversive parts, malware or hardware Trojans in the electrical or electronic device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, configured as a tool to detect at least one of aged electronic devices, damaged electronic devices, modified electronic devices, counterfeit electronic devices, tainted electronic devices, cloned electronic devices, subversive electronic devices, hardware Trojans, FIB ion circuit editing, anomalous firmware, malicious firmware, improper firmware version, firmware running under incorrect or undesired parameters, deliberately modified firmware, firmware with undesired bugs, malware, worms, firmware Trojans, viruses, exploits, physical cyber security threats, cyber physical threats, malicious code and.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a chamber and wherein the electrical or electronic device is disposed within said chamber during operation of said apparatus in a fixture-less manner or inserted into a test fixture.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said waveform generator generates said waveform within one or more specific frequencies, at specific amplitudes or amplitude envelopes.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, configured to determine anomalies in the electrical or electronic device so as to prevent and/or determine cyber physical security threats.

11. An apparatus that prevents or determines a cyber physical security threat, comprising:

a chamber that is configured to contain an electrical device therewithin;

a first antenna disposed within said chamber, said first antenna transmitting electromagnetic energy containing a waveform in a direction of the electrical device during operation of said apparatus;

a second antenna disposed within said chamber, said second antenna receiving artifact(s) unintentionally re-emitted from the electrical device due to excitation thereof with said waveform during operation of said apparatus;

an RF receiver; and

a controller that controls said RF receiver, said controller comprising;

one or more processors, and

non-transitory computer readable medium containing executable or computational instructions that cause said one or more processors to perform the steps of;

developing an electromagnetic emission signature of the electrical or electronic device, said electromagnetic emission signature containing said electromagnetic artifact(s),

analyzing said developed electromagnetic emission signature, and

determining the state and/or condition of the electrical or electronic device based on said electromagnetic artifact(s) present in said electromagnetic emission signature.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said first and second antennas are positioned within said chamber at different polarizations relative to the electrical device.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said first antenna is a first antenna array and said second antenna is a second antenna array, said first and second antenna arrays being positioned on opposite walls of said chamber.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the steps of developing said electromagnetic emission signature comprises a step of comparing the developed electromagnetic emission signature to a baseline signature of a certified electrical or electronic device.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a waveform generator that generates said waveform.