Verification of Aircraft Information in Response to Compromised Digital Certificate

• US 20140337616A1
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kimberly, Greg A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,160,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for verifying data for use on an aircraft. A plurality of digital certificates associated with the data are received by a processor unit. The processor unit determines whether one of the plurality of digital certificates is compromised. The processor unit selects a selected number of the plurality of digital certificates in response to a determination that the one of the plurality of digital certificates is compromised. The processor unit verifies the data for use on the aircraft using the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates.

Claims

1. A method for verifying data for use on an aircraft, comprising:

receiving, by a processor unit, a plurality of digital certificates associated with the data;

determining, by the processor unit, whether one of the plurality of digital certificates is compromised;

selecting, by the processor unit, a selected number of the plurality of digital certificates in response to a determination that the one of the plurality of digital certificates is compromised; and

verifying, by the processor unit, the data for use on the aircraft using the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of digital certificates is from a plurality of certificate authorities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying the data for use on the aircraft using the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates comprises determining whether at least a specified number of the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates is valid.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the specified number is defined by a quorum rule.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

selecting the quorum rule from a plurality of quorum rules in response to the determination that the one of the plurality of digital certificates is compromised.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises software for use on the aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor unit is a processor unit in an aircraft network data processing system on the aircraft.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a data verification module configured to receive a plurality of digital certificates associated with data for use on an aircraft, determine whether one of the plurality of digital certificates is compromised, select a selected number of the plurality of digital certificates in response to a determination that the one of the plurality of digital certificates is compromised, and verify the data for use on the aircraft using the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of digital certificates is from a plurality of certificate authorities.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data verification module is configured to determine whether at least a specified number of the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates is valid.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the specified number is defined by a quorum rule.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data verification module is configured to select the quorum rule from a plurality of quorum rules in response to the determination that the one of the plurality of digital certificates is compromised.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data comprises software for use on the aircraft.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data verification module is implemented in a processor unit in an aircraft network data processing system on the aircraft.

15. A method for verifying data for use on an aircraft, comprising:

receiving, by a processor unit, a plurality of digital certificates associated with the data;

determining, by the processor unit, whether one of the plurality of digital certificates is compromised;

selecting, by the processor unit, a quorum rule, wherein the quorum rule is a first quorum rule selected in response to a determination that none of the plurality of digital certificates is compromised and a second quorum rule selected in response to the determination that the one of the plurality of digital certificates is compromised; and

verifying, by the processor unit, the data for use on the aircraft using a selected number of the plurality of digital certificates as defined by the quorum rule.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of digital certificates is from a plurality of certificate authorities.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein verifying the data for use on the aircraft using the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates comprises determining whether at least a specified number of the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates is valid as defined by the quorum rule.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the first quorum rule indicates that the specified number of the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates is less than the selected number; and

the second quorum rule indicates that the specified number of the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates equals the selected number.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the data comprises software for use on the aircraft.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the processor unit is a processor unit in an aircraft network data processing system on the aircraft.