CAM-Based Security Key Verification for Memory Data Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional memory systems, such as NAND-type flash memory, rely on encryption for data security, which is vulnerable to decryption and adds performance and power overhead, and has limited capacity and speed for serial data searching.
Innovation Solution
A content-addressable memory (CAM) architecture is implemented within the memory device to secure data using unique security keys at various granularities, such as block, page, or sub-page levels, without relying on encryption, allowing secure read and write operations based on matching security keys.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If encryption is used for data security in conventional memory systems, then data protection is provided, but performance overhead and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the encryption function from the data access path by implementing security keys directly in the CAM architecture. Instead of encrypting data during read/write operations, the security verification is performed separately through CAM key matching, removing the performance overhead from the critical data path while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces CAM-based security keys as an intermediary layer between the host system and the NAND flash memory. This intermediary performs security verification through content-addressable matching rather than traditional encryption, providing a performance-efficient security gate that mediates access without the computational overhead of cryptographic operations.
2Reliability
If encryption is used for data security, then data protection is achieved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power-intensive encryption operations from the system by replacing them with CAM-based key matching. The security verification is performed through parallel content-addressable memory operations that consume significantly less power than cryptographic encryption/decryption processes, while achieving the same security objective.
3Reliability
If conventional encryption methods are used, then data security is provided, but vulnerability to decryption attacks remains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional security approach by not encrypting the data itself but instead encrypting the access control mechanism. Rather than transforming data through encryption, the system transforms the security verification process into a CAM key matching operation, making the security model fundamentally different and resistant to traditional decryption attacks.
4Productivity
If CAM architecture is implemented for security, then encryption overhead is eliminated, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality to the CAM structure by using it for both traditional content-addressable operations and security key storage/verification. The same CAM hardware serves dual purposes: enabling high-speed data searching while simultaneously providing security verification, thereby reducing overall system complexity despite the added security functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
An access request is received. The access request comprises a physical page address corresponding to a primary memory block of a memory device, an input security key, and a logical page address corresponding to the physical page address. The input security key is provided as input to a (CAM) block that stores a plurality of security keys to verify that the input security key matches a stored security key. A location of the stored security key is checked to verify that it corresponds to the logical page address included in the access request based a predetermined mapping. Based on verifying that the stored security key corresponds to the logical page address included in the access request, the physical page address corresponding to the primary memory block is accessed.