Secure Control Circuit for Confidential Memory Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices lack effective protection mechanisms for important data stored in memory, making them vulnerable to theft and leakage.
Innovation Solution
A secure control circuit is introduced, comprising a setting circuit, a processing circuit, an arbiter determination circuit, and an access circuit, which sets activation signals and provides protection and access information to determine whether to access a confidential memory area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a secure control circuit is introduced to protect confidential data, then data security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The memory is segmented into confidential areas and non-confidential areas, with the secure control circuit selectively controlling access to specific segments. This allows protection of only the necessary confidential data portions rather than the entire memory system, balancing security needs with system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The secure control circuit acts as an intermediary between the processing circuit and the memory, intercepting and evaluating access requests before they reach the memory. This mediator approach centralizes security control in a dedicated component rather than distributing complexity throughout the entire system.
2Reliability
If access control evaluation is performed for every access request, then data protection is improved, but processing speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The secure control circuit performs partial evaluation by only fully evaluating access requests that target confidential areas. For non-confidential areas, access is granted without the same level of evaluation overhead. This selective approach applies security scrutiny only where necessary rather than uniformly to all access requests.
Solution Approach 2:
The secure control circuit is pre-configured with protection information identifying confidential areas before operation begins. This preliminary setup allows the circuit to quickly determine whether an access request requires evaluation by comparing the target address against pre-stored confidential area identifiers, rather than performing full security checks for every request.
Data Source
AI summary
A secure control circuit protects data stored in a memory is provided. A setting circuit provides a first activation signal and protection information. The protection information points to a confidential area of the memory. A processing circuit provides a second activation signal and access information. An arbiter determination circuit determines whether the access information points to the confidential area according to the protection information in response to the first activation signal being in a first level. In response to the second activation signal not being in a specific level and the access information points to the confidential area, the arbiter determination circuit directs an access circuit to access the confidential area. In response to the second activation signal being in the specific level and the access information points to the confidential area, the arbiter determination circuit directs the access circuit to stop accessing the confidential area.