Secure Docking Gateway for Ship Tablet Data Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Marine vessels face cyber vulnerabilities and security risks due to the use of digital inspection tools like SIP tablets, which cannot communicate directly with the ship's internal network using standard wireless protocols or connectors, necessitating improved secure data transfer systems.
Innovation Solution
A docking device with a housing, connector, and processor that authenticates, decrypts, and re-encrypts data from external devices like SIP tablets, ensuring secure communication with the ship's internal network using multiple encryption keys and digital tokens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If standard wireless protocols (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee) are used for communication between inspection tablets and ship's internal network, then ease of operation and adaptability are improved, but cyber security and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a docking device as an intermediary component between the inspection tablet and the ship's internal network. This docking device acts as a secure gateway that mediates all data transfers, implementing authentication and encryption protocols while allowing standard wireless protocols to be used at the tablet level. The docking device contains the security risks by isolating them from the internal network while maintaining operational ease.
2Adaptability or versatility
If standard connectors (USB, Ethernet dongles) are used to plug tablets directly into the vessel's local network, then adaptability and ease of operation are improved, but cyber security deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The docking device serves as a physical and logical intermediary that accepts standard connectors from inspection tablets while implementing security protocols before connecting to the internal network. This allows the system to maintain adaptability with standard connectors while the docking device mediates the connection to ensure cyber security through authentication and encrypted data transfer.
3Productivity
If digital inspection tools are deployed on marine vessels to enable real-time monitoring and proactive maintenance, then productivity and measurement precision are improved, but cyber vulnerabilities and security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The docking device acts as a security intermediary that enables the deployment of digital inspection tools by providing a secure communication interface. It allows productivity benefits from real-time monitoring while containing cyber vulnerabilities within the docking device itself, preventing them from affecting the ship's internal network through implemented authentication and encryption protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of cyber vulnerabilities into a benefit by using the docking device as a controlled security perimeter. The docking device itself becomes the security target, and its compromised state is contained and isolated from the internal network, effectively converting the vulnerability into a protected boundary that actually enhances overall system security.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for transferring secure data and may be particularly useful for allowing secure communication between ship inspection program (SIP) tablets and a SAMM database via the ship's internal network. A docking device for transferring data comprises a housing, a connector for coupling the housing to an external device and a processor comprising a computer-readable storage device storing program instructions. The program instructions, when executed by the processor: authenticate the external device, receive data encrypted from the external device, decrypt the data, re-encrypt the data and transmit the data to an external network.