AUTONOMOUS DISTRIBUTED PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC FOR MONITORING AND SECURING ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS

• US 20110145934A1
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tiger's LAIR Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tiger's LAIR Incorporated
• Inventors: BRADLEY, Paul, ABRAMOVICI, Miron, WHELIHAN, David J.
• Application Number:
  US12/903,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145934A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/76 in application-specific integrated circuits [ASIC] or field-programmable devices, e.g. field-programmable gate arrays [FPGA] or programmable logic devices [PLD]

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are described herein for securing a mission logic system using one or more distributed, independent programmable security logic blocks. The security logic blocks may monitor subsystems of the mission logic system and/or communication between subsystems. If the security logic blocks determine that the mission logic system is operating in an unauthorized manner, the security logic blocks may enforce a protection mechanism. The security logic blocks may include an interface for receiving communications from the subsystems, an analysis instrument for analyzing the communications, a transport instrument for routing communications from the interface to the analysis instrument, and a control instrument for enforcing the protection mechanism on the basis on an analysis performed by the analysis instrument.

Claims

1. An electronic device for use in a mission logic system comprising one or more mission logic subsystems, the electronic device comprising:

an interface receiving communications associated with the one or more subsystems;

an analysis instrument for monitoring the one or more subsystems or communication between the one or more subsystems to determine whether the mission logic system is performing in an authorized or unauthorized manner; and

a control instrument for enforcing a protection mechanism when the analysis instrument determine that the mission logic is performing in an unauthorized manner.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is autonomous.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the interface receives one or more signals sent from or to the one or more subsystems, and the analysis instrument monitors the signals to detect a predetermined signal.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the interface receives one or more signals sent from or to the one or more subsystems, and the analysis instrument monitors the signals to detect a predetermined sequence of signals.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the mission logic system provides mission logic signals, and the interface comprises transport logic for routing combinations of the mission logic signals to the analysis instrument.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device receives at least one of a clock signal or a reset signal, and further provides a heartbeat signal indicating that the electronic device is programmed properly and receiving a proper clock signal or reset signal.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the protection mechanism comprises blocking access to a system resource in response to a determination by the analysis instrument that the system is performing in an unauthorized manner.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the protection mechanism comprises erasing predetermined data in response to a determination by the analysis instrument that the system is performing in an unauthorized manner.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the protection mechanism comprises disabling one or more communication peripherals in order to quarantine the system in response to a determination by the analysis instrument that the system is performing in an unauthorized manner.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the analysis instrument performs hardware authentication.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a first security device and a second security device is provided in the mission logic system, and wherein the analysis instrument of the first security device monitors the second security device to determine whether the second security device is performing in an unauthorized manner.

12. A method for determining whether a mission logic system is performing in an unauthorized manner, comprising:

receiving, at an electronic device that operates independently of the mission logic system, one or more mission logic signals;

analyzing the mission logic signals to determine whether the mission logic system is performing in an authorized manner or an unauthorized manner; and

enforcing a protection mechanism when it is determined that the mission logic system is performing in an unauthorized manner.

13. The method device of claim 12, wherein the analyzing comprises monitoring the mission logic signals to detect a predetermined signal.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein analyzing comprises monitoring the mission logic signals to detect a predetermined sequence of signals.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, at the electronic device, at least one of a clock signal or a reset signal; and

providing a heartbeat signal indicating that the electronic device is programmed properly and receiving a proper clock signal or reset signal.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the protection mechanism comprises blocking access to a mission logic system resource in response to a determination that the system is performing in an unauthorized manner.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the protection mechanism comprises erasing predetermined data in response to a determination that the system is performing in an unauthorized manner.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the protection mechanism comprises disabling one or more communication peripherals in order to quarantine the system in response to a determination that the system is performing in an unauthorized manner.

19. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising authenticating one or more subsystems of the mission logic system.

20. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the electronic device is a first security device and a second security device is provided in the mission logic system, and further comprising:

monitoring the second security device using the first security device to determine whether the second security device is performing in an unauthorized manner.