Method and apparatus for security policy and enforcing mechanism for a set-top box security processor

• US 7,913,289 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walker, Carolyn Bell, Chen, Xuemin, Chen, Iue-Shuenn
• Primary Examiner(s): CERVETTI, DAVID GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US11/136,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20060265733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,129 Days
• Field of Search: 726/1, 726/2, 726/27
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/71 to assure secure computing or processing of information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43607 Interfacing a plurality of external cards, e.g. through a DVB Common Interface [DVB-CI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14

Abstract

In multimedia systems that implement secure access techniques, a method and apparatus for a security policy and enforcing mechanism for a set-top box security processor are provided. A security policy may be determined for a multimedia terminal based on high-level requirements by various system users. A default mode of operation may be generated based on the security policy and may be stored in a security policy memory. An access control matrix that indicates the operation of security components in a security processor for various user modes may be stored in the security policy memory. Control and/or access operations not supported by the access control matrix may be supported by the default mode of operation. The user modes in the access control matrix may include composition user modes. Accessing the information in the security policy memory may be utilized to enforce the security policy in the multimedia terminal.

Claims

1. A method for operating secure multimedia devices, the method comprising:

generating a bit map in a security policy memory, wherein said bit map is used to store information for controlling one or more modes of operation of a plurality of security components in a security processor;

storing in a first section of said generated bit map, information corresponding to a default mode of operation for each of said plurality of security components in said security processor; and

storing in a second section of said generated bit map, information corresponding to an access control matrix, wherein said stored access control matrix information overrides at least a portion of a stored default mode of operation information for at least one of said plurality of security components.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising retrieving at least a portion of said stored access control matrix information by said security processor.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising retrieving at least a portion of said stored default mode of operation information by said security processor.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said stored access control matrix information comprises information corresponding to a composition user mode.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said generated bit map comprises at least one user mode configuration bit.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said at least one user mode configuration bit comprises at least one internal mode configuration bit and at least one external mode configuration bit.

7. The method according to claim 6, comprising accessing said at least one external mode configuration bit via a processor.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said generated bit map comprises at least one root chip identification (ID) bit.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said generated bit map comprises at least one symmetric key bit.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said generated bit map comprises at least one asymmetric key bit.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said generated bit map comprises at least one initial configuration bit for a data signature verification process.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said generated bit map comprises at least one challenge-response control bit.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said generated bit map comprises at least one secure scrambler control bit.

14. A system for operating secure multimedia devices, the system comprising:

one or more circuits and/or processors that comprise a security processor and a security policy memory;

said security processor comprising a plurality of security components;

said security policy memory is operable to support generation of a bit map in said security policy memory for storing information for controlling one or more modes of operation of said plurality of security components in said security processor;

said one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to store in a first section of said generated bit map, information corresponding to a default mode of operation for each of said plurality of security components in said security processor; and

said one or more circuits and/or processors are operable to store in a second section of said generated bit map, information corresponding to an access control matrix, wherein said stored access control matrix information overrides at least a portion of a stored default mode of operation information for at least one of said plurality of security components.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said security processor retrieves at least a portion of said stored access control matrix information.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said security processor retrieves at least a portion of said stored default mode of operation.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein said stored access control matrix information comprises information corresponding to a composition user mode.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein said generated bit map in said security policy memory comprises at least one user mode configuration bit.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said at least one user mode configuration bit comprises at least one internal mode configuration bit and at least one external mode configuration bit.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said one or more circuits and/or processors comprise at least one processor that accesses said at least one external mode configuration.

21. The system according to claim 14, wherein said generated bit map in said security policy memory comprises at least one root chip identification (ID) bit.

22. The system according to claim 14, wherein said generated bit map in said security policy memory comprises at least one symmetric key bit.

23. The system according to claim 14, wherein said generated bit map in said security policy memory comprises at least one asymmetric key bit.

24. The system according to claim 14, wherein said generated bit map in said security policy memory comprises at least one initial configuration bit for a data signature verification process.

25. The system according to claim 14, wherein said generated bit map in said security policy memory comprises at least one challenge-response control bit.

26. The system according to claim 14, said generated bit map in said security policy memory comprises at least one secure scrambler control bit.