Apparatus and method for enhancing security of data on a host computing device and a peripheral device

• US 9,875,354 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2014
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetScout Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gigavation, Inc. (NetScout Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Srivastava, Gita, Srivastava, Piyush B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris, Christopher C
• Application Number:
  US14/488,327
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices

Abstract

A method of enhancing security of at least one of a host computing device and a peripheral device coupled to the host computing device through a communication interface. Data is transparently received from the peripheral device or the host computing device, and the received data is stored. The stored data is analyzed to detect a circumstance associated with a security risk. If such a circumstance is not detected, then the data is transparently forwarded to the other of the peripheral device or the host. However, if a circumstance associated with a security risk is detected, then a security process, defined by a rule, is performed. Related apparatus are provided, as well as other methods and apparatus.

Claims

1. A security device for coupling between a first device, configured to act at a given time as a host computing device (“

host”

) and a plurality of second devices, each second device configured to act at the same time as a peripheral device (“

peripheral”

), wherein a protocol governs communications between the first device and the second devices, the protocol requiring any command sent by the first device to be sent to all of the second devices, each peripheral being assigned an address, and the first device operates invariably according to the protocol, the security device comprising;

an upstream interface configured to be coupled via an upstream link to the host and to receive commands and data according to the protocol without exception from the host via the upstream link and to send data to the host via the upstream link according to the protocol, each of at least some of the commands including an address of a respective peripheral;

a plurality of downstream interfaces, each downstream interface configured to be coupled via a respective downstream link to one of the peripherals and to receive data from the one peripheral via the respective downstream link and to send commands and data to the one peripheral via the respective downstream link; and

a controller coupled between the upstream and downstream interfaces and configured to;

receive a command and data via the upstream interface;

perform a security process to analyze the received command;

if the security process does not identify a security risk, select one of the downstream interfaces, and if the security process identifies a security risk, select none of the downstream interfaces; and

if one of the downstream interfaces is selected as a result of the security process having not identified a security risk, forward the received command and data to only the selected one of the downstream interfaces.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to perform the security process during an analysis interval, and during the analysis interval:

(i) disconnect communication with the at least one peripheral over the respective downstream link; and

(ii) automatically couple a termination resistor to the respective downstream link.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

perform the security process by analyzing an address, of an intended peripheral recipient of the received data, in the received command; and

if the address of the intended peripheral recipient corresponds to one of the at least one peripheral, select the one of the at least one downstream interface to which the intended peripheral recipient is coupled, via a respective downstream link.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the security process identifies the security risk based at least in part on type of a peripheral coupled to one of the at least one downstream interface.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the security process identifies the security risk based at least in part on type of the data.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein each downstream interface is configured to receive only data from the one peripheral via the respective downstream link.

7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to prevent forwarding the received command and data to at least one of the at least one downstream interface, other than the selected one of the at least one downstream interface.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to prevent forwarding the received data by changing at least one of the respective downstream link and the upstream link from a linked state to an electrically terminated state.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to change the link state to the electrically terminated state by coupling a termination resistor to the at least one of the respective downstream link and the upstream link.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to prevent direct communication between any two of the at least one peripheral via a respective downstream link.

11. A device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

garble the received command and data; and

forward the garbled command and data to at least one of the at least one downstream interface, other than the selected one of the at least one downstream interface.

12. A device according to claim 1, wherein each downstream interface is configured to be removably coupled via the respective downstream link to the one of the at least one peripheral.

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to perform the security process by analyzing the received data to ascertain if the received data poses a security risk.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to perform the security process during an analysis interval.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured, during at least a portion of the analysis interval, to emulate one of the host and the peripheral to the other of the host and the peripheral.

16. A device according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to emulate the one of the host and the peripheral at least in part by generating an acknowledge packet and sending the generated acknowledge packet to the other of the host and the peripheral.

17. A device according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to emulate the one of the host and the peripheral at least in part by generating a negative-acknowledge packet and sending the generated negative-acknowledge packet to the other of the host and the peripheral.

18. A device according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to emulate the one of the host and the peripheral at least in part by coupling a termination resistor to the link of the other of the host and the peripheral.

19. A device according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to:

during the security process;

(i) stop communication with the at least one peripheral over the respective downstream link; and

(ii) couple a termination resistor to at least one of the respective downstream link and the upstream link;

if the one of the at least one downstream interface is selected;

(i) decouple the termination resistor; and

(ii) enable communication with the at least one peripheral over the respective downstream link; and

if none of the at least one downstream interface is selected, prevent forwarding the received data to any of the at least one downstream interface.

20. A device according to claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to prevent forwarding the received data by changing at least one of the respective downstream link from a linked state to an electrically terminated state.

21. A device according to claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to change the downstream link from the linked state to the electrically terminated state by coupling the termination resistor to the downstream link.