Encryption Filter for Keyboard Data Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
In PCI DSS compliant organizations, the security of confidential cardholder data cannot be completely assured at the time of its entry into endpoint devices due to the risk of keystroke logger applications logging unencrypted data.
Innovation Solution
Employing an encryption filter communicably coupled between the keyboard and the endpoint device to encrypt keyboard data before it reaches the operating system, with subsequent decryption by a trusted server, thereby preventing access and storage of unencrypted data by malicious applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If keyboard data is transmitted unencrypted to the endpoint device, then ease of operation and data accessibility are improved, but security and reliability deteriorate due to keylogger applications logging unencrypted data
Solution Approach 1:
An encryption filter is introduced as an intermediary component between the keyboard and the operating system. This filter intercepts keyboard data at the driver level, encrypts it using cryptographic algorithms, and forwards the encrypted data to the operating system. The encryption filter acts as a mediator that protects data from keylogger applications while maintaining normal keyboard functionality, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and security.
2Reliability
If an encryption filter is implemented to encrypt keyboard data, then security and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption filter is designed to operate autonomously at the keyboard driver level, managing its own encryption operations without requiring changes to the operating system or application software. The filter handles key generation, data encryption, and transmission independently, allowing the system to benefit from enhanced security without requiring complex integration across multiple system layers.
3Reliability
If keyboard data is encrypted before reaching the operating system, then security is improved by preventing keylogger access, but measurement precision and detection difficulty worsen due to encrypted data format
Solution Approach 1:
The encryption filter performs preliminary encryption of keyboard data at the driver level, before the data reaches the operating system or any potential keylogger applications. By encrypting the data in advance during the input phase, the system ensures that even if data is intercepted, it remains unreadable. The legitimate system can still process the encrypted data through proper decryption channels, maintaining both security and functional detection capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for encrypting keyboard data prior to its being received by an operating system of an endpoint device, reducing the possibility of unencrypted keyboard data being logged by a keylogger application running on the endpoint device. The techniques employ an encryption filter communicably coupled between a keyboard and the endpoint device. The encryption filter receives unencrypted keyboard data from the keyboard, encrypts the keyboard data, and provides the encrypted keyboard data to the operating system of the endpoint device. The techniques can be employed in association with a back-end data processing center of a security standard compliant organization, which can receive the encrypted keyboard data from the endpoint device, and decrypt the keyboard data for use on a host system. In this way, access and/or storage of unencrypted keyboard data at the endpoint device can be avoided.