Embedded Processing Multi-Stage Authentication for Data Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Embedded processing systems are vulnerable to undesirable behavior and degraded performance due to unauthorized modifications of software and data, which can compromise the integrity and trustworthiness of control systems.
Innovation Solution
A multi-stage authentication mechanism is implemented, involving the authentication of an immutable anchor and a reconfigurable entity map, with asymmetric cryptographic methods, to ensure the integrity of configuration items and establish a root of trust, coupled with accommodation measures for authentication failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multi-stage authentication is implemented, then security and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication mechanism is divided into multiple distinct stages: immutable anchor authentication, reconfigurable entity map authentication, and configuration item authentication. Each stage operates independently with specific authentication controls, allowing the system to verify integrity at multiple levels without requiring a single complex authentication process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary authentication of the immutable anchor and reconfigurable entity map before allowing authentication of configuration items. This preliminary action establishes a secure foundation and root of trust, ensuring that subsequent authentication operations occur within a verified security context.
2Reliability
If authentication of configuration items is performed, then integrity is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Authentication processing is segmented into distinct stages that can be executed sequentially or in parallel depending on system configuration. The immutable anchor authentication, entity map authentication, and configuration item authentication are separate operations that can be optimized independently, allowing for reduced overall processing time while maintaining comprehensive integrity verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication control provides feedback mechanisms that allow the system to respond to authentication results in real-time. When authentication failures are detected, the system can immediately trigger accommodation measures such as resetting the system or switching to fail-safe mode, reducing the time needed for comprehensive verification by stopping processing at critical failure points.
3Reliability
If accommodation measures are implemented for authentication failures, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Accommodation measures are predefined and prepared in advance for various authentication failure scenarios. The system includes pre-configured responses such as system reset, fail-safe mode activation, and authentication failure message transmission, which are automatically executed when failures occur, eliminating the need for complex real-time decision-making logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication control acts as an intermediary between the authentication process and the accommodation measures. It manages the complexity by centralizing failure detection and coordination, triggering appropriate accommodation measures based on predefined rules without requiring complex distributed decision-making across the system.
Data Source
AI summary
An embedded processing system includes processing circuitry configured to execute a plurality of computer executable instructions. The embedded processing system also includes a memory system configured to store a plurality of configuration items, where at least one of the configuration items includes a sequence of the computer executable instructions. The embedded processing system also includes an authentication control configured to authenticate an immutable anchor associated with the embedded processing system, authenticate integrity of a reconfigurable entity map associated with the memory system, authenticate the configuration items based on the reconfigurable entity map, and perform an accommodation measure based on an authentication failure of at least one of the configuration items.