Biometric Serial Port Authentication via Cable IC
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Solution Overview
Problem
Information handling systems lack effective access control mechanisms for serial ports, particularly against unauthorized access and 'person-in-the-middle' attacks, which can compromise data security and integrity.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a secure serial communication system that uses an integrated circuit (IC) within the serial communication cable to authenticate users via biometric data, such as fingerprints, and enables secure communication only when the biometric data matches stored encrypted information, thereby preventing unauthorized access and ensuring secure plug-and-play functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If serial communication ports are made accessible for plug-and-play functionality, then ease of operation is improved, but security against unauthorized access and person-in-the-middle attacks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication actions by incorporating a biometric authentication mechanism that activates automatically when a serial communication cable is connected. The integrated circuit in the cable captures biometric data (fingerprint, iris, or voice) and authenticates the user before allowing data communication, thus preventing unauthorized access while maintaining plug-and-play convenience
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary authentication layer is introduced between the serial communication cable and the information handling system. The integrated circuit acts as a mediator that verifies user identity through biometric data and establishes a secure communication channel, blocking person-in-the-middle attacks while preserving ease of connection
2Reliability
If biometric authentication is implemented in the serial communication cable, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated circuit in the serial communication cable is designed to support multiple biometric authentication methods (fingerprint, iris, voice) within a single device. This multi-functionality approach consolidates various authentication mechanisms into one universal component, improving security without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The biometric authentication system operates autonomously within the integrated circuit, capturing and verifying biometric data without requiring external authentication servers or complex processing systems. The cable itself performs the authentication function, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high security
Data Source
AI summary
In one or more embodiments, one or more systems, one or more methods, and/or one or more processes may: prohibit data communications, via a serial communication port of an information handling system, with an operating system executing on the information handling system; determine that a serial communication cable has been connected to the serial communication port; receive, via the serial communication port, first biometric data associated with a user from an integrated circuit of the serial communication cable; retrieve encrypted information associated with the user from a nonvolatile memory medium; decrypt the encrypted information associated with the user to determine second biometric data; determine that the first biometric data matches the second biometric data; and in response to determining that the first biometric data matches the second biometric data, permit the data communications via the serial communication port.