Secure Element Data Verification with Error-Correction Codes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing secure elements in IoT systems face vulnerabilities to physical attacks such as side-channel and fault attacks, particularly when storing, loading, and processing digital information in external non-volatile memory, necessitating improved security measures.
Innovation Solution
Implementing error-detection and error-correction codes during the loading and processing of digital information within secure elements, combined with an 'Encrypt-then-MAC' approach, to ensure integrity and authenticity of the data, and verifying integrity before decryption and processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If digital information is stored in external non-volatile memory to reduce secure element cost, then device cost is reduced, but security against physical attacks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by generating error-detection codes and error-correction codes before storing digital information in external memory. The codes are associated with the digital information during the storage phase, enabling future detection and correction of faults without requiring additional security hardware. This preliminary coding protects the information throughout its lifecycle including loading and processing phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces error-detection codes and error-correction codes as intermediary elements between the digital information and the storage/processing system. These codes act as mediators that enable the system to detect and correct faults in the digital information without requiring the information itself to be modified, thus maintaining security while using cost-effective external storage.
2Speed
If digital information is loaded into volatile memory for processing, then processing speed is improved, but vulnerability to fault attacks increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms by continuously verifying the integrity of digital information through error-detection codes during loading and processing operations. The system checks the codes associated with digital information in volatile memory, and when faults are detected, the system can request retransmission or correction, creating a closed-loop feedback system that maintains security despite the use of fast but vulnerable volatile memory.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by pre-generating error-correction codes that can compensate for potential faults. These codes are associated with digital information before it is loaded into volatile memory, providing a protective buffer that allows the system to withstand fault attacks during high-speed processing without compromising security.
3Reliability
If error-detection and error-correction codes are generated and associated with digital information, then security and integrity are improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing digital information into manageable units (words) and generating error-detection codes and error-correction codes for each unit separately. This segmentation allows the security system to process and verify information in smaller, more manageable chunks, reducing the overall processing complexity compared to handling entire data sets as single units while maintaining comprehensive security coverage.
Data Source
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AI summary
The method for securely processing digital information, has the following steps, performed by a secure element (100) having a secure processor (102): - loading (S10) the digital information (Si'') from an external memory (200) into the secure element (100); - segmenting (S13) the digital information (Si) into words of digital information (Wij,k), generating error-detection codes (EDCj,k) or error- correction codes (ECCi,k) from said words of digital information and associating said error-detection codes with the corresponding words; - transferring (S15) the words of digital information (Wij,k) and the associated error-detection codes (EDCj,k) or error-correction codes (ECCi,k) to the secure processor (102); - in the secure processor (102), verifying (S16) the words of digital information (Wij,k) based on the associated error-detection codes (EDCj,k) or error-correction codes (ECCi,k) before processing the digital information contained in said words (Wij,k).