Use of multiple digital signatures and quorum rules to verify aircraft information

• US 9,237,022 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kimberly, Greg A., Angus, Ian Gareth
• Primary Examiner(s): Shiferaw, Eleni
• Assistant Examiner(s): MASSIE, DAVID H
• Application Number:
  US13/888,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20140337630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 713/176
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/006 involving public key infrastructure [PKI] trust models network architecture or network communication protocol for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for verifying data for use on an aircraft. A plurality of digital certificates associated with the data is received by a processor unit. The processor unit verifies the data for use on the aircraft using a selected number of the plurality of digital certificates.

Claims

1. A method for verifying data for use on an aircraft, comprising:

receiving, by a processor unit disposed on one or more chips, a plurality of digital certificates associated with the data;

selecting, from a selected number of the plurality of digital certificates, the selected number including a quorum rule selected from quorum rules that are based upon a system on the aircraft by which the data will be used and a location of the aircraft when the data is loaded into the aircraft, a quorum rule, from a number of quorum rules in the processor unit, for selecting a number of digital certificates from among the plurality of digital certificates; and

verifying, as uncompromised, by the processor unit, the data for use on the aircraft using a selected number of the plurality of digital certificates, via determining which of the plurality of digital certificates are received from an acceptable certificate authority; and

wherein the selected number of certificates is defined by the quorum rule, the quorum rule being further containing of one, or more, of;

a quorum rule for an operator of an aircraft;

a quorum rule for an aircraft maintenance entity;

a quorum rule for an aircraft type;

a quorum rule for an aircraft system on which data will be used;

a quorum rule for the number of aircraft systems on which data will be used; and

a quorum rule for use when a certificate authority is known to be, or suspected of being compromised.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of digital certificates is from a plurality of certificate authorities and further comprising selecting the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates using a list of acceptable certificate authorities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying the data for use on the aircraft using the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates comprises determining whether at least a specified number of the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates is valid, via determining a specified digital authority as being compromised.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises software for use on the aircraft.

5. The method of claim 1, such that an aircraft network data processing system on the aircraft comprises the processor unit.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor unit disposed on one or more chips comprising;

a quorum rule selected, based upon a system on an aircraft by which data will be used and a location of the system when the data is loaded is loaded onto the system, from a number of quorum rules in the processor unit, wherein the quorum rules selects a number of digital certificates from among a plurality of digital certificates associated with the data; and

a data verification module configured to receive the plurality of digital certificates and to verify, as uncompromised, the data based upon a selected number of the plurality of digital certificates being received from an acceptable certificate authority,

the selected number of certificates being determined by a quorum rule selected from quorum rules based on at least two of;

an aircraft system on with the data will be loaded;

a number of aircraft systems on which the data will be used;

a location of the aircraft when the data is loaded; and

when a determination is made that a certificate authority is known to be, or is suspected of being compromised.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of digital certificates is from a plurality of certificate authorities and wherein the data verification module is further configured to select the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates using a list of acceptable certificate authorities.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the data verification module is configured to determine whether at least a specified number of the selected number of the plurality of digital certificates is valid.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the data comprises software for use on the aircraft.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the data verification module is implemented in an aircraft network data processing system on the aircraft.

11. A method for verifying data, for use on an aircraft, as being uncompromised, the method comprising a one or more processor units disposed on one or more chips:

receiving the data for use on the aircraft;

identifying a plurality of digital certificates for the data via determining which of the plurality of digital certificates are received from an acceptable certificate authority;

selecting, from a selected number of the plurality of digital certificates, the selected number including a quorum rule selected from quorum rules that are based upon a system on the aircraft by which the data will be used and a location of the aircraft when the data is loaded is loaded onto the aircraft, a quorum rule, from a number of quorum rules in the processor unit, for selecting a number of digital certificates from among the plurality of the digital certificates; and

the selected number of certificates being determined by a quorum rule selected from quorum rules based on at least two of;

an aircraft system on with the data will be loaded;

a number of aircraft systems on which the data will be used;

a location of the aircraft when the data is loaded; and

when a determination is made that a certificate authority is known to be, or is suspected of being compromised; and

sending the data and the plurality of digital certificates to the aircraft.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of digital certificates is from a plurality of certificate authorities.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the data comprises software for use on the aircraft, and farther comprising determining the acceptable certificate authority via a list, on the aircraft, of acceptable certificate authorities.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving the plurality of digital certificates by an aircraft network data processing system on the aircraft; and

verifying, by the aircraft network data processing system, the data for use on the aircraft using a selected number of the plurality of digital certificates.