Federated Gateway Trusted Execution Environment Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data security solutions lack cost-effective and efficient methods to protect sensitive assets from various attacks, particularly in microprocessor designs, where traditional approaches are inadequate for providing comprehensive security and real-time performance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) within microprocessor design, which creates a secure world for sensitive resources and a non-secure world, using hardware-based isolation and a small trusted operating system to manage secure and non-secure operations, allowing for robust security without the need for a dedicated security processor core.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional security solutions are used, then security protection is provided, but cost-effectiveness and efficiency are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two distinct execution environments: a secure execution environment (SEE) for sensitive operations and a rich execution environment (REE) for general processing. This segmentation allows security-critical functions to be isolated and protected while maintaining overall system productivity, resolving the contradiction between security reliability and cost-effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
A federated gateway is introduced as an intermediary component that bridges the SEE and REE, managing secure data processing and communication between them. This intermediary enables efficient security operations by handling encryption, decryption, and data sharing protocols, improving both security effectiveness and system efficiency without requiring a dedicated security processor core.
2Reliability
If hardware-based isolation is implemented, then security perimeter is strengthened, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The secure execution environment is integrated within the existing microprocessor architecture rather than being implemented as a separate dedicated security processor. The SEE shares hardware resources with the REE while maintaining hardware-based isolation through memory management units and execution state separation. This merging approach strengthens the security perimeter without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The microprocessor core serves multiple functions by supporting both secure and non-secure execution modes. The same processor resources (ALU, registers, cache) are utilized by both SEE and REE depending on the execution context, eliminating the need for entirely separate security processing hardware and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining strong security isolation.
3Reliability
If secure world resources are isolated, then confidentiality and integrity are protected, but access to resources is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The federated gateway acts as an intermediary that facilitates controlled access between the isolated secure execution environment and the rich execution environment. It manages authentication, authorization, and data sharing protocols, allowing necessary resource access while maintaining security isolation. This resolves the contradiction by providing ease of operation for legitimate access requests while preserving confidentiality and integrity protections.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically transitions between secure and non-secure execution modes based on operational requirements. The federated gateway can dynamically allocate resources, switch execution contexts, and adjust access policies in real-time. This dynamic behavior enables flexible resource access when needed while maintaining strict isolation when security is paramount, balancing ease of operation with protection of confidential data.
Data Source
AI summary
There is described a method and data processing gateway comprising: data processing circuitry for performing data processing operations in response to program code; a first execution environment (FEE) and a second execution environment (SEE) for storing data and program code, wherein data and program code stored in the FEE when accessible to the data processing circuitry configured to operate in the FEE is inaccessible to the data processing circuitry when configured to operate in the SEE, the FEE comprising: a data ingestion store for receiving a device decryption mechanism into the FEE to decrypt encrypted device data, the data ingestion store further for receiving encrypted device data into the FEE and for decrypting the encrypted device data using the device decryption mechanism; and a subscriber client manager for receiving a first subscriber encryption mechanism into the FEE, and further for encrypting device data using the first subscriber encryption mechanism and further for transmitting encrypted device to a first subscriber externally of the data processing gateway whereby the device data is secure outside of the FEE.