Hidden security techniques for wireless security devices

• US 8,471,904 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Clemens, Jonathan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ustaris, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mung, On S
• Application Number:
  US11/524,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20080068457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,471 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/164, 707/687, 707/697, 725/117, 725/118, 725/30, 725/147.148, 725/150, 340/307
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/71 to assure secure computing or processing of information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19634 Electrical details of the system, e.g. component blocks for carrying out specific functions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1966 Wireless systems, other than telephone systems, used to communicate with a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/06 using power transmission lines
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/18 Prevention or correction of operating errors G08B29/02, G08B29/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/106 Packet or message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices

Abstract

A security device transmits captured information wirelessly while transmitting checksums for the information via a power line. The security device may be a security camera, a badge reader, or the like.

Claims

1. A security apparatus with a hidden security technique, the security apparatus comprising:

capture circuitry to capture an image and generate a checksum from the image;

a wireless interface coupled to the capture circuitry, the wireless interface configured to;

transmit the image to a monitoring station over a wireless network; and

a power interface coupled to the capture circuitry, the power interface configured to;

supply power to the capture circuitry and transmit the checksum to the monitoring station over a power line network;

wherein, to determine that a replay attack is ongoing, the monitoring station detects a mismatch between a checksum calculated from the image received over the wireless network and the checksum received over the power line network; and

wherein, to determine that a wireless jamming attack is ongoing, the monitoring station detects receipt of the checksum over the power line network in addition to failure to receive the image over the wireless network.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the image is a frame of a video stream.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the image is a portion of a frame of a video stream.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the image is information sensed by an electronic scanner.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the capture circuitry is one of a:

badge scanner, biometric reader, or continuous observation device.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a backup battery and circuitry powered by the battery to send a wireless transmission if the power supplied by the power interface is interrupted.

26. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, the wireless interface further configured to transmit a power fail message to the monitoring station over the wireless network in response to a power failure event, wherein, to determine that a physical attack of the security apparatus is ongoing, the monitoring station detects receipt of the power fail message from the security apparatus over the wireless network in addition to determining that building power has not failed in a building where the security apparatus is located.

7. A method comprising:

capturing an image using capture circuitry;

calculating a checksum of the image;

transmitting the image to a monitoring station over a wireless network; and

transmitting the checksum via a power line, over a power line network to the monitoring station, the checksum for comparison at a receiver with a second checksum calculated from the wirelessly received image;

wherein, to determine that a replay attack is ongoing, the monitoring station detects a mismatch between a checksum calculated from the image received over the wireless network and the checksum received over the power line network; and

wherein, to determine that a wireless jamming attack is ongoing, the monitoring station detects receipt of the checksum over the power line network in addition to failure to receive the image over the wireless network.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the image is a frame of a video stream.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the image is a portion of a frame of a video stream.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the image is information sensed by an electronic scanner.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the capture circuitry is one of a:

badge scanner, biometric reader, or continuous observation device.

12. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

if the power supplied by the power interface is interrupted, sending a wireless transmission using a backup battery and circuitry powered by the battery.

27. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein, to determine that a physical attack is ongoing, the monitoring station detects a power fail message received over the wireless network in addition to determining that building power has not failed in a location where the image was captured.

13. A system comprising:

a wired receiver configured to receive a checksum that was transmitted on a power line over a power line network from a security device;

a wireless receiver configured to receive an image from the security device wirelessly over a wireless network; and

circuitry configured to;

determine that a replay attack is ongoing based upon a mismatch between a checksum calculated from the image received over the wireless network and the checksum received over the power line network; and

determine that a wireless jamming attack is ongoing based upon receipt of the checksum over the power line network in addition to failure to receive the image over the wireless network.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the image is a frame of a video stream.

15. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the image is a portion of a frame of a video stream.

16. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the image is information sensed by an electronic scanner.

28. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine that a physical attack of the security device is ongoing based upon receipt of a power fail message from the security device over the wireless network in addition to determining that building power has not failed in a building where the security device is located.

17. A system comprising:

capture circuitry arranged to capture an image and generate a checksum for the image;

an antenna;

a wireless interface coupled to the capture circuitry, the wireless interface arranged to transmit the image on the antenna over a wireless network to a monitoring station; and

a power interface coupled to the capture circuitry, the power interface arranged to supply power to the capture circuitry and to transmit the checksum on a power line over a power line network, the checksum provided for comparison at a receiver with a second checksum calculated from the wirelessly received image;

wherein, to determine that a replay attack is ongoing, the monitoring station detects a mismatch between a checksum calculated from the image transmitted over the wireless network and the checksum transmitted over the power line network; and

wherein, to determine that a wireless jamming attack is ongoing, the monitoring station receives the checksum over the power line network in addition to failing to receive the image over the wireless network.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the image is a frame of a video stream.

19. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the image is a portion of a frame of a video stream.

20. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the image is information sensed by an electronic scanner.

21. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the capture circuitry is a badge scanner.

22. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the capture circuitry is a biometric reader.

23. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the capture circuitry is a continuous observation device.

24. The system as recited in claim 17, further comprising a backup battery and circuitry powered by the battery to send a wireless transmission if the power supplied by the power interface is interrupted.

25. The system as recited in claim 17, further comprising a monitoring station configured to wirelessly receive the capture image and receive the checksum over the power line, and further configured to generate a second checksum from the wirelessly received capture image and compare the second checksum to the received checksum.

29. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein, to determine that a physical attack is ongoing, the monitoring station detects power failure of the power line in addition to detecting that building power has not failed in a location of the capture circuitry.