Analog Active Shielding Using Current-Domain Tamper Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing active shielding technologies, such as digital active shielding, are vulnerable to invasive attacks like probing and tampering, particularly when dealing with 0/1 digital signals, as they can be hacked through long-term monitoring, necessitating a more complex protection mechanism.
Innovation Solution
An active shielding device and method utilizing multiple current sources, an analog wire shield unit, current to voltage converters, and voltage comparators, along with switches and a controller, to generate and compare currents and voltages, providing enhanced protection by operating in the current domain and incorporating random patterns to detect and thwart invasive attacks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If analog wire windings with multiple current sources are used, then complexity of invasive attacks increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the shield unit multi-functional by integrating multiple current sources, analog wire windings, current-to-voltage converters, and voltage comparators into a single unified structure. This shield unit simultaneously generates analog currents, converts them to voltages, compares them with reference voltages, and detects tampering, replacing what would otherwise require separate protection circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functional elements (current sources, wire windings, converters, comparators) into an integrated shield unit that operates as a cohesive system. The current sources are connected in parallel to analog wire windings, which are then connected to current-to-voltage converters, creating a merged structure that achieves high security while minimizing the number of discrete components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively detects and prevents invasive attacks by generating complex currents and voltages, making it difficult for attackers to access information through probing, thereby providing robust protection for circuits like cryptographic or security circuits.
Implementation Method 1
an analog wire shield unit connected to the current sources
Implementation Method 2
a current to voltage converter connected to the analog wire shield unit and configured to generate a voltage in response to the currents
Implementation Method 3
a voltage comparator connected to the current to voltage converter and configured to compare the voltage that is generated by the current to voltage converters with a reference voltage
Data Source
AI summary
An active shielding device and method for active shielding are disclosed. The active shielding device includes current sources configured to generate currents, an analog wire shield unit connected to the current sources, a current to voltage converter connected to the analog wire shield unit and configured to generate a voltage in response to the currents that are generated by the current sources, and a voltage comparator connected to the current to voltage converter and configured to compare the voltage that is generated by the current to voltage converters with a reference voltage.