Authentication Pulse Superposition for Low-Latency Signal Encryption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Embedded electrical and computing systems, such as those in aircraft control systems, are vulnerable to hostile cyberattacks due to inadequate encryption methods that consume significant processing resources and cannot meet the time constraints for secure data transmission.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of frequency-based encryption techniques, where a data authentication pulse is superimposed on communication signals using a pseudo random sequence, allowing for rapid and secure data authentication with reduced processor consumption, making the system more resistant to cyber threats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional encryption methods are used to secure communication signals, then security is improved, but processing time increases and processing resources are consumed excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The communication signal is segmented into individual pulses, and encryption is applied selectively to specific pulses rather than the entire signal. This allows the authentication pulse to be encrypted while other data pulses remain unencrypted, reducing overall processing time and resource consumption while maintaining security for critical authentication data.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication function is extracted from the general data transmission process. A dedicated authentication pulse is separated from the data pulses, encrypted using a pseudo-random sequence, and transmitted independently. This extraction allows for rapid authentication without requiring encryption of the entire communication stream, thus reducing processing time while maintaining security.
2Reliability
If traditional encryption methods are used to secure communication signals, then security is improved, but processor resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication signal is segmented into individual pulses, and encryption is applied selectively to specific pulses rather than the entire signal. This allows the authentication pulse to be encrypted while other data pulses remain unencrypted, reducing overall processing time and resource consumption while maintaining security for critical authentication data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a pseudo-random sequence that is locally generated at both transmitter and receiver ends, eliminating the need for complex key distribution infrastructure. Each end independently generates and uses the same sequence for encryption and decryption, reducing processor resource consumption by avoiding complex cryptographic operations while maintaining security.
3Measurement precision
If authentication pulses are transmitted with higher amplitude for reliable detection, then detection reliability is improved, but susceptibility to cyberattacks increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the communication signal have different properties: authentication pulses are encrypted with pseudo-random sequences and have distinct frequency characteristics, while data pulses have different amplitude and frequency properties. This local differentiation allows the receiver to identify and authenticate encrypted pulses without requiring high amplitude, reducing vulnerability to attacks while maintaining detection reliability through frequency-based discrimination.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication pulse undergoes a transformation in its frequency domain characteristics through pseudo-random sequencing, creating a distinctive spectral signature. This 'color change' in the frequency domain allows the receiver to reliably identify authentication pulses through spectral analysis rather than amplitude detection, reducing susceptibility to amplitude-based cyberattacks while maintaining detection reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A receiver in a communication system may include a buffer and hardware. The buffer may be configured to store a communication signal comprising one or more pulses representative of data. The hardware may be configured to determine whether a data authentication pulse has been superimposed over at least one of the one or more pulses, and authenticate, based on the determination of whether the data authentication pulse has been superimposed over at least one of the one or more pulses, the one or more pulses as a valid representation of the data.