Tamper Detecting Case with 3D Conductive Grid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tamper-resistant electronic devices, such as security chips, are vulnerable to physical attacks that modify circuits or extract stored information, and existing tamper detection methods are impractical for system-level implementation, especially in industries like banking, where secure supply chain management is challenging and costly.
Innovation Solution
A tamper detecting case with a 3D grid of conductive traces surrounding the storage unit, powered continuously, which interrupts and erases data upon unauthorized access or power loss, using a sensor and host base management controller to generate a power signal or zeroizing request to irreversibly damage memory cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tamper-resistant electronic devices are designed to erase sensitive data upon detecting penetration, then security is improved, but the complexity of implementation and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the tamper detection system into separate modular components: a tamper detection circuit that monitors for penetration events, and a separate data storage element. This segmentation allows the security function to be implemented independently without redesigning the entire device architecture, thereby reducing implementation complexity while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (such as a fusible link or anti-fuse element) that physically connects the tamper detection circuit to the data storage element. This intermediary acts as a controlled pathway that can be irreversibly damaged upon tamper detection, triggering data erasure without requiring complex active processing circuits.
2Reliability
If entire PCBs with components are replaced upon tamper detection, then security is maintained, but cost and supply chain burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the critical security function (data storage and tamper response) from the larger PCB assembly into a self-contained module or discrete component. This extraction allows the security-critical element to be replaced independently without discarding the entire PCB and its other functional components, thereby reducing material waste and replacement costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables selective discarding of only the tampered security component while recovering and retaining the rest of the PCB assembly. This approach recovers valuable materials and components that would otherwise be wasted, reducing both direct replacement costs and indirect supply chain burdens.
3Reliability
If dedicated manufacturing lines are used for secure components, then supply chain security is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the security component with universal interfaces and standardized packaging that allow it to be manufactured using existing general-purpose manufacturing infrastructure. The component can be produced in the same facilities as non-security components, eliminating the need for dedicated secure manufacturing lines while maintaining supply chain security through the component's inherent tamper-resistant design.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples relate to tamper detecting cases comprising a socket and a mating lid. The socket has a bottom wall, opposing side walls and an upper opening and the mating lid has a top wall, opposing side walls and a lower opening. The socket and the mating lid fit together defining an inner cavity to store a storage unit. The tamper detecting case further comprises a three dimensional grid of conductive traces formed on the opposing side walls of the socket, an inner surface of the bottom wall of the socket and on an inner surface of the top wall of the mating lid, that forms a current path. The tamper detecting case also comprises a sensor that is to sense a flow of electrical current flowing through the current path and to generate a signal to erase the storage unit when the current path is interrupted.