Non-Volatile Memory Protected Address Ranges Access Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for controlling data access in non-volatile memory devices, such as cryptography and digital rights management, do not effectively address all security issues, leading to a need for improved access control mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a non-volatile memory system with protected and unprotected address ranges, where access to protected data is controlled through authentication, and an indication is communicated to the host device to avoid timeouts when access is denied, allowing for secure storage and retrieval of sensitive content without performance burdens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cryptography or digital rights management is used to control data access, then data security is improved, but device complexity and performance overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The memory array is divided into multiple address ranges, with at least one designated as a protected range and others as unprotected ranges. This segmentation allows different access control policies to be applied to different portions of the memory, providing security where needed while maintaining simple access where not required, thus reducing overall system complexity and performance overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
Access control is applied locally to specific address ranges rather than globally to the entire memory device. The protected address range receives enhanced security measures while unprotected ranges maintain standard access protocols, optimizing the balance between security and performance by applying complexity only where necessary.
2Reliability
If the memory device is locked to control data access, then unauthorized access is prevented, but legitimate access is also blocked and functionality is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The memory is segmented into protected and unprotected address ranges, allowing the device to remain unlocked and fully functional for unprotected areas while applying access control only to protected areas. This enables legitimate access to most data while preventing unauthorized access to sensitive portions without the need to lock the entire device.
Solution Approach 2:
Access control restrictions are applied locally to specific protected address ranges rather than globally to the entire memory device. This allows the majority of the memory to remain easily accessible while only specific sensitive regions require authentication, maintaining ease of operation for legitimate users who need access to unprotected data.
3Reliability
If access control is implemented for protected data, then security is improved, but access time increases due to authentication requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Authentication credentials are verified in advance before data access is granted. The system performs authentication checks prior to allowing access to the protected address range, so that when legitimate access is requested, the authentication has already been completed, minimizing actual access time delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts access control based on authentication status. Once authenticated, the system maintains the authenticated state for subsequent access operations, reducing repeated authentication overhead and minimizing time loss for multiple access requests to the protected range.
4Reliability
If traditional cryptographic systems are used for access control, then data security is improved, but cost and performance overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The memory address space is segmented into protected and unprotected ranges, allowing standard high-performance read and write operations to continue uninterrupted in unprotected areas. Only access to protected ranges triggers authentication checks, minimizing the impact on overall system productivity while still providing cryptographic-level security for sensitive data.
Solution Approach 2:
Security measures are applied locally to protected address ranges rather than globally. This allows the majority of memory operations to proceed at full speed without cryptographic overhead, while only specific protected regions incur the performance cost of authentication, thus maintaining high productivity for most operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of controlling data access to non-volatile memory is disclosed. The method includes storing a data file in a non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory includes a memory array including a plurality of address ranges one or more of which corresponding to a protected portion of the memory array and one or more of which corresponding to an unprotected portion of the memory array. The method also includes communicating to a host device an indication that a memory request with respect to the protected portion of the memory array is denied. The indication is communicated for instructing the host device to avoid a timeout when the memory request is denied.