System and method for providing security to a portable storage device

• US 7,631,195 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Super Talent Technology, Corporation
• Original Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Charles C., Yu, I-Kang
• Primary Examiner(s): Revak; Christopher A
• Application Number:
  US11/377,235
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/72 in cryptographic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0662 with particular pseudorandom sequence generator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0897 involving additional devices, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard or USB
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

A system for providing security to a portable storage device coupleable to a host system and associated methods are disclosed. The system includes a portable storage device random number generator operable to generate a random number for storage in the portable storage device and the host system each time the portable storage device is accessed by the host system. A random number generated in this manner may be used by the host system in a write process to encrypt a logical branch address, a user password, and user data which may be written to the portable storage device as encrypted data and stored in a secure area of the portable storage device. The write process may further include encrypting the random number using a key associated with the portable storage device to generate an encrypted random number, which may be written to the portable storage device and associated with the encrypted data. The random number is not stored in the host system. A new random number may be generated each time the portable storage device is queried. In a read process the host system may decrypt the encrypted random number associated with the encrypted data to be read using the key associated with the portable storage device to generate the random number. The read process may further include using the random number to decrypt the associated encrypted data. Access to read/write processes may be password protected.

Claims

1. A system comprising a portable storage device and a host system, said portable storage device being coupleable to said host system using a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface such that a microprocessor disposed on the portable storage device is accessible by a central processing unit of the host system through the USB interface when the portable storage device is coupled to the host system,

wherein said portable storage device includes a random number generator operable to generate a new random number each time the portable storage device is accessed by the host system;

wherein said host system includes an encryption engine operable to encrypt a password, a logical block address and data using the random number generated by the portable storage device,

wherein said portable storage device includes a secure area for storing the encrypted password, encrypted logical block address and encrypted data,

the host system encryption engine being further operable to encrypt the random number using a key to generate an encrypted random number, the encrypted random number being stored in the secure area of the portable storage device and associated with the encrypted data;

wherein said host system further includes a decryption engine operable to decrypt the encrypted random number using the key and to decrypt the encrypted data associated with the encrypted random number; and

wherein said portable storage further includes a decryption engine operable to decrypt the encrypted password and the encrypted logical block address and to generate an encrypted password and an unencrypted logical block address.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the random number generator uses thermal noise as a source of randomness.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the random number generator comprises a pseudo-random number generator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said portable storage device further comprises a first hash engine operable to hash the unencrypted password.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said portable storage device further comprises a second hash engine operable to hash a portable storage device serial number.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said portable storage device further comprises a scramble engine operable to generate an index from the unencrypted logical block address and the hashed serial number.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said portable storage device further comprises a physical block address translator operable to translate the index into the physical block address.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said portable storage device further comprises a comparator operable to compare hashed passwords.

9. A method for providing security to a portable storage device coupleable to a host system using a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface such that a microprocessor disposed on the portable storage device is accessible by a central processing unit of the host system through the USB interface when the portable storage device is coupled to the host system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving in the host system a random number generated by the portable storage device each time the portable storage device is accessed by the host system, wherein the portable storage device includes a random number generator that generates a new said random number each time the portable storage device is accessed by the host system;

encrypting a user password using the random number in the host system;

sending the encrypted password to the portable storage device;

decrypting the encrypted password using the random number, wherein said decrypting is performed by a decryption engine disposed on the portable storage device;

hashing the decrypted password in the portable storage device, wherein said hashing is performed by a hash engine disposed on the portable storage device;

comparing the hashed password to a hashed password stored in the portable storage device, wherein said comparing is performed by a comparator disposed on the portable storage device; and

allowing access to a secure area of the portable storage device in the case where the hashed password is the same as the stored hashed password.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising encrypting a logical branch address and data using the random number in the host system and sending the encrypted logical branch address and the encrypted data to the portable storage device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising decrypting the encrypted logical branch address and scrambling the decrypted logical branch address to generate a physical branch address to which the encrypted data and encrypted random number are written, wherein said decrypting and scrambling are performed by associated engines disposed on the portable storage device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising decrypting the encrypted logical branch address and scrambling the decrypted logical branch address to generate a physical branch address from which the encrypted data and the encrypted random number are read, wherein said decrypting and scrambling are performed by associated engines disposed on the portable storage device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising erasing the random number from the host system following the host system user password encryption step.

14. A method for providing security to a portable storage device coupleable to a host system using a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface such that a microprocessor disposed on the portable storage device is accessible by a central processing unit of the host system through the USB interface when the portable storage device is coupled to the host system, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a random number in the portable storage device each time the portable storage device is accessed by the host system, wherein the portable storage device includes a random number generator that generates a new said random number each time the portable storage device is accessed by the host system;

providing the generated random number to the host system;

encrypting a password, a logical block address and data using the random number in the host system;

providing the encrypted password, encrypted logical block address and encrypted data to the portable storage device;

storing the encrypted password, encrypted logical block address and encrypted data in a secure area of the portable storage device;

encrypting the random number using a key to generate an encrypted random number in the host system;

providing the encrypted random number to the portable storage device;

storing the encrypted random number in the secure area of the portable storage device; and

associating the encrypted random number with the stored encrypted data.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising decrypting the encrypted random number using the key and decrypting the encrypted data associated with the encrypted random number using the decrypted random number in the host system.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising decrypting the encrypted logical branch address and scrambling the logical branch address to generate a physical branch address in the portable storage device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising writing the encrypted data to the physical branch address.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising reading the encrypted data from the physical branch address.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising erasing the random number from the host system following the host system encryption steps.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the random number is generated using thermal noise as a source of randomness.