Trusted sensors

• US 8,832,461 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2010
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Saroiu, Stefan, Wolman, Alastair
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAW, BRIAN F
• Application Number:
  US12/823,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20110320823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 726/3, 726/5, 713/189, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3218 using proof of knowledge, e.g. Fiat-Shamir, GQ, Schnorr, ornon-interactive zero-knowledge proofs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

Architecture that provides trusted sensors and trusted sensor readings on computing devices such as mobile devices. The architecture utilizes a trustworthy computing technology (e.g., trusted platform module (TPM). In the context of TPM, one implementation requires no additional hardware beyond the TPM and a virtualized environment to provide trusted sensor readings. A second implementation incorporates trusted computing primitives directly into sensors and enhances security using signed sensor readings. Privacy issues arising from the deployment of trusted sensors are also addressed by utilizing protocols.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented sensor method executed by a processor comprising:

receiving sensor readings from sensors of a device, the device including a trust component that provides trust information which is applied to the sensor readings to create trustworthy readings for communication to a consuming application;

when the trust component includes a virtualization component that virtualizes the sensors and facilitates interaction with the sensors by the consuming application;

signing the sensor readings with the trust information via a virtual machine within the device; and

independent of software configuration of the device, when the trust component includes a central hardware trust module that comprises a secure counter;

obtaining a counter value from the secure counter;

signing the sensor readings and the obtained counter value at the sensors using the trust information; and

registering the device and the sensors with a remote service to associate the sensors with the device after signing the sensor readings and the obtained counter value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising tagging the sensor readings with time information and signing the sensor readings and the time information using the trust information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor readings are raw sensor readings.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising incrementing the secure counter before obtaining a counter value from the secure counter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the trust information is provided according to a trustworthy computing technology.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing transferability of the sensor readings by employing a knowledge protocol that reveals the sensor readings of the signed sensor readings without revealing signatures used to sign the sensor readings.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein signing the sensor readings comprises signing the sensor readings using an attestation key that facilitates attestation anonymity.

8. A device comprising:

a processor; and

executable instructions operable by the processor, the executable instructions comprising a sensor method, the sensor method comprising;

receiving sensor readings from sensors of the device, the device including a trust component that provides trust information which is applied to the sensor readings to create trustworthy readings for communication to a consuming application;

when the trust component includes a virtualization component that virtualizes the sensors and facilitates interaction with the sensors by the consuming application;

signing the sensor readings with the trust information via a virtual machine within the device; and

independent of software configuration of the device, when the trust component includes a hardware trust module that comprises a secure counter;

obtaining a counter value from the secure counter;

signing the sensor readings and the obtained counter value at the sensors using the trust information; and

registering the device and the sensors with a remote service to associate the sensors with the device after signing the sensor readings and the obtained counter value.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the sensor readings are raw sensor readings.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the sensor method further comprises tagging the sensor readings with time information.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the sensor method further comprises signing the tagged sensor readings and the time information using the trust information.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the sensor method further comprises incrementing the secure counter before obtaining a counter value from the secure counter.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the sensor method further comprises preventing transferability of the sensor readings by employing a knowledge protocol that reveals the sensor readings of the signed sensor readings without revealing signatures used to sign the sensor readings.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein signing the sensor readings comprises signing the sensor readings using an attestation key that facilitates attestation anonymity.

15. A storage device for storing computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions when executed by a processing device performs a sensor method, the sensor method comprising:

receiving sensor readings from sensors of a mobile device, the mobile device including a trust component that provides trust information which is applied to the sensor readings to create trustworthy readings for communication to a consuming application;

when the trust component includes a virtualization component that virtualizes the sensors and facilitates interaction with the sensors by the consuming application;

signing the sensor readings with the trust information via a virtual machine within the mobile device; and

independent of software configuration of the mobile device, when the trust component includes a central hardware trust module that comprises a secure counter;

obtaining a counter value from the secure counter;

signing the sensor readings and the obtained counter value at the sensors using the trust information; and

registering the mobile device and the sensors with a remote service to associate the sensors with the mobile device after signing the sensor readings and the obtained counter value.

16. The storage device of claim 15, wherein the sensor readings are raw sensor readings.

17. The storage device of claim 15, wherein the sensor method further comprises tagging the sensor readings with time information and signing the sensor readings and the time information using the trust information.

18. The storage device of claim 15, wherein the sensor method further comprises incrementing the secure counter before obtaining a counter value from the secure counter.

19. The storage device of claim 15, wherein the sensor method further comprises preventing transferability of the sensor readings by employing a knowledge protocol that reveals the sensor readings of the signed sensor readings without revealing signatures used to sign the sensor readings.

20. The storage device of claim 15, wherein signing the sensor readings comprises signing the sensor readings using an attestation key that facilitates attestation anonymity.