Secure Element NFC Access Control Architecture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices using near field communication (NFC) are vulnerable to hardware and software attacks due to direct wired connections between NFC controllers and application processors, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a secure element with an access control manager that analyzes NFC requests and applies access control policies to determine the access level of transactions, physically isolating the NFC interface from the application processor and using encrypted access control policies to manage and enforce access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a direct wired connection is used between NFC controller and application processor, then communication efficiency is improved, but security is worsened due to vulnerability to hardware and software attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a secure element as an intermediary component between the NFC controller and application processor. This secure element acts as a mediator that handles sensitive NFC operations and data storage, preventing direct access to sensitive information while maintaining communication efficiency. The secure element isolates the NFC interface from the application processor, blocking attack vectors while allowing authorized transactions to proceed through the secure channel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the NFC system into distinct functional components: the NFC controller for radio communication, the secure element for secure data handling and storage, and the application processor for user applications. This segmentation isolates sensitive operations in the secure element, preventing attacks on the application processor from compromising NFC security while maintaining efficient communication through defined interfaces.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If access control policies are implemented in the secure element, then security is improved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the access control functionality into a separate secure element component, removing the burden of implementing complex security policies from the main application processor. This extraction allows the secure element to handle access control independently using dedicated hardware and firmware, reducing the complexity burden on the overall system while maintaining strong security protections.
Solution Approach 2:
The secure element implements self-service access control by autonomously evaluating access requests against stored policies and making authorization decisions without requiring complex intervention from the application processor. The secure element manages its own security credentials, keys, and access rules, reducing the need for external security management infrastructure and simplifying the overall system architecture.
Data Source
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AI summary
This disclosure describes systems, methods, and computer-readable media related to near field communication (NFC) access control in a secure element centric NFC architecture. A secure element may receive a request for information and process the received request to identify a first access level associated with the request and a second access level associated with an originator of the request. The secure element may determine if the first access level matches the second access level. If the first access level does not match the second access level, the secure element may transmit a message to the originator of the request indicating a denial of the request. If the first access level does match the second access level, the secure element may transmit the request to a near field communication (NFC) controller, receive information from the NFC controller, and transmit the information from the NFC controller to the originator of the request.