ENDPOINT LOAD REBALANCING CONTROLLER

• US 20150089657A1
• Filed: 09/25/2013
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cohn, John M., Kursun, Eren, Mukherjee, Maharaj, Topol, Anna
• Granted Patent: US 9,172,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/755 with measures against power attack
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/14 for the transfer of light or images, e.g. for video-surveillance, for television or from a computer screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/827 using characteristics of target signal or of transmission as countermeasure against jamming H04K3/25, e.g. using direct sequence spread spectrum or fast frequency hopping spread spectrum techniques H04B1/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/162 at the data link layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/002 Countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms network architectures or network communication protocols for protection against malicious traffic H04L63/1441
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A endpoint load rebalancing controller, method of controlling endpoint activity to suppress side channel variation and computer program product for controlling endpoint activity for suppressing side channel variation in information from utility company users, e.g., from power company endpoints. The load rebalancing controller monitors period to period endpoint service usage and predicts next period endpoint service usage. Whenever the controller maintains determines that the endpoint usage will exhibit a change that may be sufficient to convey activity information in side channel activity, the controller rebalances activity for the next period. Rebalancing may include shifting off-line execution from one period to another and capping or increasing on-line execution activity.

Claims

1. A security method for protecting service usage information comprising:

monitoring service usage at an endpoint;

projecting endpoint service usage for a next monitoring period;

determining whether projected usage indicates an activity change;

marking projected activity for shielding responsive to an indicated activity change;

modifying service usage projected for said endpoint in said next monitoring period; and

returning to monitoring service usage.

2. A security method as in claim 1, further comprising comparing projected service usage against current monitored service usage, wherein activity changes are indicated by the comparison indicating a projected usage difference in excess of a selected threshold.

3. A security method as in claim 1, further comprising comparing projected service usage against current monitored service usage, wherein activity changes are indicated by the projected usage being outside of selected usage limits.

4. A security method as in claim 1, wherein service usage comprises resources for on-line and off-line endpoint activity during a monitoring period.

5. A security method as in claim 4, wherein when indicated activity changes indicate an increase in activity, said method comprises:

delaying off-line endpoint activity beyond said next monitoring period; and

selectively capping on-line activity during said next monitoring period.

6. A security method as in claim 4, wherein when indicated activity changes indicate a decrease in activity, said method comprises:

advancing off-line endpoint activity to said next monitoring period from a subsequent monitoring period; and

selectively increasing on-line activity during said next monitoring period.

7. A security method as in claim 1, further comprising comparing projected usage for each endpoint unit and comparing total projected endpoint usage, projected activity being marked for shielding responsive to indicated individual unit activity changes and to indicated total activity changes.

8. A security method as in claim 1, wherein said service usage is utility consumption, said method further comprising notifying a service provider of monitored utility consumption.

9. A security method as in claim 9, wherein said service provider is a utility company and notifying said utility company comprises communicating utility consumption to a smart meter monitoring endpoint utility consumption, said smart meter communicating utility consumption to said utility company.

10. A method for protecting utility usage information from side channel attacks, said method comprising:

monitoring utility usage at an endpoint;

projecting endpoint utility usage from on-line and off-line activity for a next monitoring period;

comparing projected utility usage against current monitored utility usage;

determining whether the comparison indicates a change in endpoint activity;

marking projected activity for shielding responsive to an indicated change in endpoint activity;

modifying on-line and off-line activity scheduled for said endpoint in said next monitoring period; and

returning to monitoring service usage.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein changes in endpoint activity are indicated by the comparison indicating a projected utility usage difference in excess of a selected threshold.

12. A method as in claim 10, wherein changes in endpoint activity are indicated by the comparison indicating a projected utility usage being outside of selected usage limits.

13. A method as in claim 10, wherein when the comparison indicates a increase in endpoint activity, said method further comprises:

delaying off-line endpoint activity beyond said next monitoring period; and

selectively capping on-line activity during said next monitoring period.

14. A method as in claim 10, wherein when the comparison indicates a decrease in endpoint activity, said method further comprises:

advancing off-line endpoint activity to said next monitoring period from a subsequent monitoring period; and

selectively increasing on-line activity during said next monitoring period.

15. A method as in claim 10, wherein comparing projected utility usage comprises comparing projected usage for each endpoint unit and comparing total projected endpoint usage, projected activity being marked for shielding responsive to indicated individual unit activity changes and to indicated total activity changes.

16. A method as in claim 10, wherein said service provider is a power company and notifying said power company comprises communicating power consumption to a smart meter monitoring endpoint power consumption, said smart meter communicating power consumption to said power company.

17-25. -25. (canceled)