Secure wireless LAN device including tamper resistant feature and associated method

• US 7,441,126 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• 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: Dellmo, Russell, Bergman, James, Hall, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tongoc
• Application Number:
  US09/761,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,835 Days
• Field of Search: 380/28, 380/44, 380/247, 380/255, 380/30, 713/200, 713/201, 713/158, 713/161, 713/171, 713/194, 713/182, 713/189, 713/193, 370/338
• US Class Current: 713/194
• 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 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.

2. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 1 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.

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

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

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

6. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 5 wherein said predetermined wireless LAN MAC protocol is based upon the IEEE 802.11 standard.

7. 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.

8. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 7 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.

9. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 7 wherein said cryptographic information comprises a cryptography key.

10. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 7 wherein said security information comprises at least a portion of a cryptography algorithm.

11. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 7 further comprising a media access controller (MAC) carried by said housing;

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

12. A secure wireless LAN device according to claim 11 wherein said predetermined wireless LAN MAC protocol is based upon the IEEE 802.11 standard.