Measured Boot Process for Industrial IoT Gateway Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computer networks face vulnerabilities due to the increased number of network-enabled devices, allowing malicious attacks to infiltrate through compromised components, necessitating a method to authenticate and secure access at the gateway level to prevent unauthorized access and ensure network integrity, particularly in safety-critical operations like oil and gas recovery.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a measured boot process that involves measuring and validating the BIOS, operating system loader, and operating system using a trusted platform module, storing digests in a platform configuration register, and starting an immutable boot loader only when measurements match, thereby ensuring a secure boot process and authenticating components before granting access to the network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of network-enabled devices is increased to enhance work efficiency, then productivity is improved, but the vulnerability to malicious attacks increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the boot process into multiple stages (pre-boot, boot, post-boot) with distinct security measurements and validation points. Each stage is independently measured and validated against trusted references, creating segmented security zones that limit the spread of malware while maintaining overall system functionality and device connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs security measurements and validation actions before the actual boot process begins. By measuring components like the BIOS, boot loader, and operating system before execution, and storing trusted references in advance, the system prevents malicious attacks before they can compromise network accessibility, thus maintaining productivity while enhancing security.
2Reliability
If a measured boot process with multiple measurements and validations is implemented, then network security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) as an intermediary component that handles all security measurements, validations, and comparisons. The TPM acts as a mediator between the boot components and the security validation logic, centralizing complexity in a dedicated module rather than distributing it throughout the boot process, thus improving security while managing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates and stores reference copies of trusted boot components (BIOS, boot loader, operating system) in advance. These reference copies are stored in secure locations and used during validation to compare against current components. By pre-creating and storing these references, the validation process becomes simpler and more efficient, reducing the complexity of real-time security checks.
3Reliability
If security measurements and validations are performed at each boot stage, then system integrity is improved, but boot time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs all necessary security measurements and creates reference copies before the actual boot process begins. By pre-measuring and storing trusted references in the TPM, the system eliminates the need for time-consuming measurements during the boot process itself, thus maintaining system integrity while minimizing boot time delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous security validation throughout the boot process by establishing a chain of trust where each component is measured and validated against the previous trusted reference. This continuous validation ensures system integrity at every stage while using efficient comparison mechanisms that minimize time overhead, maintaining both security and boot speed.
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial internet of things gateway boot method is described wherein installation, operation and maintenance phases are controlled to limit the chance of a malicious attack on a connected network.