Intrusion detection using pseudo-random binary sequences

• US 20080117046A1
• Filed: 11/02/2005
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Cruzado, Edwin D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,719,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/568.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/126 for a housing, e.g. a box, a safe, or a room
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/186 using light guides, e.g. optical fibres

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system comprises an enclosure, at least one item enclosed within the enclosure, and at least one optical medium disposed between the enclosure and the at least one item. The at least one optical medium is arranged in a pattern such that the at least one optical medium substantially encloses the at least one item. The system further comprises a generator communicatively coupled to a first portion of the optical medium. The generator generates a pseudo-random sequence of bits. The pseudo-random sequence of bits is optically transmitted over the optical medium. The system further comprises a detector communicatively coupled to a second portion of the optical medium. The detector detects any portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits received at the second portion of the optical medium.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an enclosure;

at least one item enclosed within the enclosure; and

at least one optical medium disposed between the enclosure and the at least one item, wherein the at least one optical medium is arranged in a pattern such that the at least one optical medium substantially encloses the at least one item;

a generator communicatively coupled to a first portion of the optical medium, wherein the generator generates a pseudo-random sequence of bits, wherein the pseudo-random sequence of bits is optically transmitted over the optical medium; and

a detector communicatively coupled to a second portion of the optical medium, wherein the detector detects any portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits received at the second portion of the optical medium.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein any portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits received at the second portion of the optical medium is compared to at least a portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits optically transmitted over the optical medium to determine if the integrity of the optical medium has been compromised.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising an anti-tamper mechanism and an error filter, wherein the error filter determines when the anti-tamper mechanism should cause an anti-tamper related action to be performed based on whether the optical medium has been compromised.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a comparator to compare the at least a portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits optically transmitted over the optical medium to any portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits received at the second portion of the optical medium.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein a reference pseudo-random sequence of bits is generated, wherein the reference pseudo-random sequence of bits comprises the pseudo-random sequence of bits optically transmitted over the optical medium, wherein at least a portion of the reference pseudo-random sequence of bits is compared to any portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits received at the second portion of the optical medium to determine if the integrity of the optical medium has been comprised.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a comparator to compare the at least a portion of the reference pseudo-random sequence of bits to any portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits received at the second portion of the optical medium.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a linear feedback shift register to generate the pseudo-random sequence of bits.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one item comprises at least one of:

a storage medium, electronic equipment, and an electronic component.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an electrical-to-optical interface to communicatively couple the generator to the first portion of the optical medium, wherein the electrical-to-optical interface encodes the pseudo-random sequence of bits onto an optical signal that is communicated over the optical medium.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising an optical-to-electrical interface to communicatively couple the detector to the second portion of the optical medium, wherein the optical-to-electrical interface attempts to receive the optical signal and output any portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits received at the second portion of the optical medium.

11. A system comprising:

an electrical component;

packaging substantially enclosing the electrical component;

at least one optical medium disposed between the packaging and the electrical component, wherein the at least one optical medium is arranged in a pattern such that the at least one optical medium substantially encloses the at least electrical component;

a generator communicatively coupled to a first portion of the optical medium, wherein the generator generates a pseudo-random sequence of bits and optically transmits the pseudo-random sequence of bits over the optical medium; and

a detector communicatively coupled to a second portion of the optical medium, wherein the detector detects any portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits received at the second portion of the optical medium.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein any portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits received at the second portion of the optical medium is compared to at least a portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits optically transmitted over the optical medium to determine if the integrity of the optical medium has been compromised.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising an anti-tamper mechanism and an error filter, wherein the error filter determines when the anti-tamper mechanism should cause an anti-tamper related action to be performed based on whether the optical medium has been compromised.

14. A method comprising:

generating a pseudo-random sequence of bits;

transmitting the pseudo-random sequence of bits over an optical medium from a first portion of the optical medium, wherein the optical medium is substantially arranged in a pattern such that at least one item is substantially enclosed by the optical medium; and

detecting whether any portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits received at a second portion of the optical medium.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising comparing any portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits received at the second portion of the optical medium to at least a portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits optically transmitted over the optical medium in order to determine if the integrity of the optical medium has been compromised.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising filtering results from the comparing in order to determine when to perform an anti-tamper related action based on whether the optical medium has been compromised.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating a reference pseudo-random sequence of bits, wherein the reference pseudo-random sequence of bits comprises the pseudo-random sequence of bits optically transmitted over the optical medium; and

comparing at least a portion of the reference pseudo-random sequence of bits to any portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits received at the second portion of the optical medium in order to determine if the integrity of the optical medium has been comprised.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the pseudo-random sequence of bits comprises generating the pseudo-random sequence of bits using a linear feedback shift register, and wherein the method further comprises:

periodically configuring the linear feedback shift register to generate the pseudo-random sequence of bits; and

communicating a synchronization pattern over the optical medium while the configuring occurs.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one item comprises at least one of:

a storage medium, electronic equipment, and an electronic component.

20. Apparatus comprising:

means for generating a pseudo-random sequence of bits;

means for transmitting the pseudo-random sequence of bits over an optical medium from a first portion of the optical medium, wherein the optical medium is substantially arranged in a pattern such that at least one item is substantially enclosed by the optical medium; and

means for detecting whether any portion of the pseudo-random sequence of bits received at a second portion of the optical medium.