Card slot anti-tamper protection system

• US 8,279,075 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Fleischman, Scott G., Tucker, James L., Dalzell, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERWIN, RYAN W
• Application Number:
  US11/565,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20080134349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,133 Days
• Field of Search: 340540-690, 713/194, 726/34, 361/752, 361/753, 361/756, 361/727, 361/759, 361/730, 361/788, 361/796, 361/800
• US Class Current: 340/652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings

Abstract

A secure insert comprises a shell including a lid and a container configured to receive and encase one or more circuit cards, wherein the shell is further configured to be inserted into and engage a card slot area of a chassis. A bridge connector is disposed inside the shell and configured to couple the one or more circuit cards to a chassis connector. A tamper sensor is disposed inside the shell and configured to detect unauthorized tamper events.

Claims

1. A secure insert comprising:

a shell including a lid and a container that defines a cavity that is configured to receive one or more circuit cards,

wherein the lid is configured to be coupled to the container to enclose one or more circuit cards within the cavity,

wherein the container is configured to be inserted into and engage a card slot area of a chassis, and

wherein the shell is configured such that the lid is removable from the container while the container is engaged with the card slot area of the chassis, and the cavity defined by the container is accessible while the lid is removed from the container and the container is engaged with the card slot area of the chassis;

a bridge connector disposed inside the shell and configured to couple the one or more circuit cards to a chassis connector; and

a tamper sensor disposed inside the shell and configured to detect unauthorized tamper events, wherein the tamper sensor lines at least a portion of the shell.

2. The secure insert of claim 1, wherein the shell comprises one or more of a composite material, a metal, or a ceramic material.

3. The secure insert of claim 1, wherein the tamper sensor comprises a fiber optic matrix or an electrical sensor configured to detect changes in electrical characteristics.

4. The secure insert of claim 1, wherein the tamper sensor lines a surface of an inner portion of the lid and an inner portion of one or more walls of the container.

5. The secure insert of claim 1, wherein the tamper sensor is disposed between an inner portion and an outer portion of the lid and between an inner portion and an outer portion of one or more walls of the container.

6. The secure insert of claim 1, wherein one or more walls of the container are configured to conform to the shape of chassis card slot posts in a card slot area of a chassis.

7. The secure insert of claim 1, wherein the shell includes a plurality of card slot posts disposed in the container to hold the one or more circuit cards in place.

8. The secure insert of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring circuit coupled to the tamper sensor, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to control a response to a detected tamper event in order to protect sensitive data on the one or more circuit cards.

15. The secure insert of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a plurality of walls and wherein the lid is configured to be coupled to the plurality of walls such that the shell is sealed.

19. The secure insert of claim 8, wherein the monitoring circuit controls a response to a detected tamper event by at least one of erasing data on the one or more circuit cards, encrypting data on the one or more circuit cards, or physically destroying a component of the one or more circuit cards.

9. An electronic system comprising:

at least one circuit card;

a chassis configured to house the at least one circuit card, wherein the chassis includes a card slot area comprising at least one chassis connector; and

a secure insert comprising;

a shell including a lid and a container that defines a cavity that is configured to receive the at least one circuit card, wherein the lid is configured to be coupled to the container and enclose the at least one circuit card within the container, wherein the container is configured to be inserted into and engage the card slot area of the chassis, and wherein the shell is configured such that the at least one circuit card is removable from the cavity of the container while the lid is removed from the container and the container is engaged with the card slot area of the chassis;

a bridge connector disposed inside the shell, wherein the at least one circuit card and the at least one chassis connector are configured to be electrically coupled via the bridge connector; and

a tamper sensor disposed inside the shell and configured to detect unauthorized tamper events, wherein the tamper sensor lines at least a portion of the shell.

10. The electronic system of claim 9, wherein the tamper sensor comprises a fiber optic matrix or an electrical sensor configured to detect changes in electrical characteristics.

11. The electronic system of claim 9, wherein the tamper sensor lines a surface of an inner portion of the lid and an inner portion of one or more walls of the container.

12. The electronic system of claim 9, wherein the tamper sensor is disposed between an inner portion and an outer portion of the lid and between an inner portion and an outer portion of one or more walls of the container.

13. The electronic system of claim 9, wherein one or more walls of the container are configured to conform to the shape of chassis card slot posts in the card slot area of the chassis.

14. The electronic system of claim 9, wherein the secure chassis insert further comprises a monitoring circuit coupled to the tamper sensor, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to control a response to a detected tamper event in order to protect sensitive data on the one or more circuit cards.

16. The electronic system of claim 9, wherein the lid is configured to be coupled to the container to encase the at least one circuit card in the shell.

20. The electronic system of claim 9, wherein the chassis is configured to receive the at least one circuit card directly within the card slot area.

17. A method comprising:

inserting a container of a shell into a card slot area of a chassis, wherein the container defines a cavity;

positioning a circuit card within the cavity of the container;

coupling the circuit card to a bridge connector, wherein the bridge connector is disposed inside the container and is configured to couple the circuit card to a chassis connector of the chassis; and

after inserting the container into the card slot area of the chassis, coupling a lid of the secure insert to the container, wherein the lid encloses the circuit card within the container,

wherein the shell is configured such that the circuit card is removable from the cavity while the lid is removed from the container and the container is engaged with the card slot area of the chassis, and the shell comprises a tamper sensor that is configured to detect unauthorized tamper events, wherein the tamper sensor lines at least a portion of the shell.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the container comprises a plurality of walls, and wherein coupling the lid to the container comprises coupling the lid to the plurality of walls such that the shell is sealed.