Secure wireless LAN device including tamper resistant feature and associated method

• US 20020095594A1
• Filed: 01/16/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lionra Technologies Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bergman, James, Hall, David W., Dellmo, Russell
• Granted Patent: US 7,441,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/72 in cryptographic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A secure wireless LAN device includes a housing, a wireless transceiver carried by the housing, and a cryptography circuit carried by the housing. The cryptography circuit may operate using cryptography information and may also render unuseable the cryptography information based upon tampering. The cryptography circuit may include at least one volatile memory for storing the cryptography information, and a battery for maintaining the cryptography information in the at least one volatile memory. Accordingly, the cryptography circuit may further include at least one switch operatively connected to the housing for disconnecting the battery from the at least one volatile memory so that the cryptography information therein is lost based upon breach of the housing. The cryptographic information may comprise a cryptography key and/or at least a portion of a cryptography algorithm. This cryptographic information remains relatively secure and is lost upon tampering, such as removing the housing.

Claims

1. A secure wireless local area network (LAN) device comprising:

a housing;

a wireless transceiver carried by said housing;

a media access controller (MAC) carried by said housing; and

a cryptography circuit carried by said housing and connected to said MAC and said wireless transceiver, said cryptography circuit operating using cryptography information and rendering unuseable the cryptography information based upon tampering.

2. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 1 wherein said cryptography circuit comprises:

at least one volatile memory for storing the cryptography information; and

a battery for maintaining the cryptography information in said at least one volatile memory.

3. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 2 wherein said cryptography circuit further comprises at least one switch operatively connected to said housing for disconnecting said battery from said at least one volatile memory so that the cryptography information therein is lost based upon breach of said housing.

4. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 1 wherein said cryptographic information comprises a cryptography key.

5. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 1 wherein said security information comprises at least a portion of a cryptography algorithm.

6. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 1 wherein said MAC implements a predetermined wireless LAN MAC protocol.

7. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 6 wherein said predetermined wireless LAN MAC protocol is based upon the IEEE 802.11 standard.

8. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 1 further comprising at least one connector carried by said housing for connecting to at least one of a user station and an access point.

9. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 8 wherein said at least one connector comprises a PCMCIA connector.

10. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 1 wherein said cryptography circuit comprises:

a cryptography processor; and

a control and gateway circuit connecting said cryptography processor to said MAC and said wireless transceiver.

11. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 1 wherein said wireless transceiver comprises:

a baseband processor;

a modem connected to said baseband processor; and

a radio frequency transmitter and receiver connected to said modem.

12. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 1 further comprising at least one antenna carried by said housing and connected to said wireless transceiver.

14. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 13 wherein said cryptography circuit comprises:

at least one volatile memory for storing the cryptography information; and

a battery for maintaining the cryptography information in said at least one volatile memory.

15. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 14 wherein said cryptography circuit further comprises at least one switch operatively connected to said housing for disconnecting said battery from said at least one volatile memory so that the cryptography information therein is lost based upon breach of said housing.

16. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 13 wherein said cryptographic information comprises a cryptography key.

17. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 13 wherein said security information comprises at least a portion of a cryptography algorithm.

18. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 13 further comprising a media access controller (MAC) carried by said housing;

and wherein said MAC implements a predetermined wireless LAN MAC protocol.

19. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 18 wherein said predetermined wireless LAN MAC protocol is based upon the IEEE 802.11 standard.

20. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 13 wherein said at least one connector comprises a PCMCIA connector.

21. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 13 wherein said cryptography circuit comprises:

a cryptography processor; and

a control and gateway circuit connecting said cryptography processor to said MAC and said wireless transceiver.

22. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 13 wherein said wireless transceiver comprises:

a baseband processor;

a modem connected to said baseband processor; and

a radio frequency transmitter and receiver connected to said modem.

23. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 13 further comprising at least one antenna carried by said housing and connected to said wireless transceiver.

25. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 24 wherein said cryptography circuit further comprises at least one switch operatively connected to said housing for disconnecting said battery from said at least one volatile memory so that the cryptography information therein is lost based upon a breach of said housing.

26. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 24 wherein said cryptographic information comprises a cryptography key.

27. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 24 wherein said security information comprises at least a portion of a cryptography algorithm.

28. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 24 wherein said MAC implements a predetermined wireless LAN MAC protocol.

29. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 28 wherein said predetermined wireless LAN MAC protocol is based upon the IEEE 802.11 standard.

13. A secure wireless local area network (LAN) device comprising:

a housing;

a wireless transceiver carried by said housing;

at least one connector carried by said housing for connecting to at least one of a LAN station and a LAN access point; and

a cryptography circuit carried by said housing and connected to said wireless transceiver, said cryptography circuit operating using cryptography information and rendering unuseable the cryptography information based upon tampering.

24. A secure wireless local area network (LAN) device comprising:

a housing;

a wireless transceiver carried by said housing;

a media access controller (MAC) carried by said housing; and

a cryptography circuit carried by said housing and connected to said MAC and said wireless transceiver, said cryptography circuit comprising

at least one volatile memory for storing the cryptography information, and

a battery for maintaining the cryptography information in said at least one volatile memory.

30. A secure wireless local area network (LAN) device comprising:

a housing;

a wireless transceiver carried by said housing;

at least one connector carried by said housing for connecting to at least one of a LAN station and a LAN access point; and

a cryptography circuit carried by said housing and connected to said wireless transceiver, said cryptography circuit comprising

at least one volatile memory for storing the cryptography information, and

a battery for maintaining the cryptography information in said at least one volatile memory.

31. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 30 wherein said cryptography circuit further comprises at least one switch operatively connected to said housing for disconnecting said battery from said at least one volatile memory so that the cryptography information therein is lost based upon breach of said housing.

32. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 30 wherein said cryptographic information comprises a cryptography key.

33. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 30 wherein said security information comprises at least a portion of a cryptography algorithm.

34. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 30 further comprising a media access controller (MAC) carried by said housing;

and wherein said MAC implements a predetermined wireless LAN MAC protocol.

35. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 34 wherein said predetermined wireless LAN MAC protocol is based upon the IEEE 802.11 standard.

37. A secure wireless LAN system according to claim 36 wherein said cryptography circuit comprises:

at least one volatile memory for storing the cryptography information; and

a battery for maintaining the cryptography information in said at least one volatile memory.

38. A secure wireless LAN system according to claim 37 wherein said cryptography circuit further comprises at least one switch operatively connected to said housing for disconnecting said battery from said at least one volatile memory so that the cryptography information therein is lost based upon breach of said housing.

39. A secure wireless LAN system according to claim 36 wherein said cryptographic information comprises a cryptography key.

40. A secure wireless LAN system according to claim 36 wherein said security information comprises at least a portion of a cryptography algorithm.

41. A secure wireless LAN system according to claim 36 wherein said secure wireless LAN device comprises a media access controller (MAC) connected to said wireless transceiver;

and wherein said MAC implements a predetermined wireless LAN MAC protocol.

42. A secure wireless LAN system according to claim 41 wherein said predetermined wireless LAN MAC protocol is based upon the IEEE 802.11 standard.

43. A secure wireless LAN system according to claim 36 wherein said plurality of LAN devices comprises a plurality of user stations.

44. A secure wireless LAN system according to claim 36 wherein said plurality of LAN devices comprises at least one user station and at least one access point.

45. A secure wireless LAN system according to claim 36 wherein said plurality of LAN devices comprises a plurality of access points.

47. A method according to claim 46 wherein the cryptography circuit comprises at least one volatile memory for storing the cryptography information, and a battery for maintaining the cryptography information in the at least one volatile memory;

and wherein rendering unuseable comprises disconnecting the battery from the at least one volatile memory based upon a breach of the housing.

48. A method according to claim 46 wherein the cryptographic information comprises a cryptography key.

49. A method according to claim 46 wherein the security information comprises at least a portion of a cryptography algorithm.

50. A method according to claim 46 wherein the secure wireless LAN device further comprises a media access controller (MAC) carried by the housing;

and wherein the MAC implements a predetermined wireless LAN MAC protocol.

51. A method according to claim 50 wherein the predetermined wireless LAN MAC protocol is based upon the IEEE 802.11 standard.

36. A secure wireless local area network (LAN) system comprising:

a plurality of LAN devices;

a respective secure wireless LAN device connected to each of said plurality of LAN devices, each secure wireless LAN device comprising

a housing,

a wireless transceiver carried by said housing, and

a cryptography circuit carried by said housing and connected to said wireless transceiver, said cryptography circuit operating using cryptography information and rendering unuseable the cryptography information based upon tampering.

46. A method for making tamper resistant a secure wireless local area network (LAN) device comprising a housing, a wireless transceiver carried by the housing and a cryptography circuit carried by the housing, the method comprising:

storing cryptography information in the cryptography circuit; and

rendering unuseable the cryptography information based upon tampering with the secure wireless LAN device.