Control System Protocol Signature for Data Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control systems for medical devices and processes fail to reliably detect changes or manipulations in stored process information, such as log files, which is critical for ensuring the integrity and accuracy of device operations.
Innovation Solution
A control system with a reception module and a processing module that assigns a visible protocol signature to process information using a secret system code stored exclusively in internal memory, ensuring that any changes or manipulations can be detected by generating a unique signature based on sequence numbers and time information, preventing unnoticed alterations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If process information is stored externally or with accessible secret codes, then ease of operation and data accessibility are improved, but reliability and security against manipulation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the secret system code from the process information storage location. The secret code remains exclusively in the control system's internal memory, while process information can be stored externally or in accessible locations. This segmentation allows easy access to process data while maintaining security through the separated secret code that generates unique protocol signatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The protocol signature acts as an intermediary between the secret system code and the process information. It provides a verifiable link that confirms the authenticity and integrity of process information without requiring direct access to the secret code itself, thus maintaining both accessibility and reliability.
2Ease of operation
If secret system code is stored externally or made accessible, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability and detection capability of manipulations deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The secret system code is extracted from any external storage or accessible locations and kept exclusively within the control system's internal memory. This extraction ensures that while process information can be freely accessed and stored externally, the secret code remains protected, making any manipulation of process information detectable through protocol signature verification.
3Reliability
If protocol signature generation includes multiple parameters (sequence number, time information, process information), then reliability and manipulation detection are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines multiple parameters (sequence number, time information, and process information) into a single protocol signature through cryptographic hashing. This merging approach maintains high reliability for manipulation detection while avoiding the complexity of managing separate verification mechanisms for each parameter, as all are integrated into one verifiable signature.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system (100) for a device (105) for making possible a process control for a process carried out on the device, with a reception module (110) and with a processing module (120). The reception module is configured to receive process information (112). The process information pertains to currently carried out process steps (114) of the process. The processing module is configured to assign a sequence number (122) to the received process information and to generate a visible protocol signature (128) based on the sequence number, of the process information, of time information (124) and a secret system code (126) and to assign it to the process information, and to output the process information with the assigned visible protocol signature. The secret system code is stored n this case exclusively in an internal memory (125) of the control system.