Time-Synchronized Network Security via Alignment Check Packets

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current solutions lack an efficient method to detect, quantify, and localize attacks in time synchronization and traffic scheduling for time-sensitive networks (TSNs), which are critical for systems requiring real-time safety features.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of alignment check packets (ACPs) and diagnostic streams within TSNs allows for the detection and quantification of time misalignments due to malfunctions or attacks, enabling the localization of security threats.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If time-synchronized networking is implemented to enable time synchronization and deterministic data delivery, then time performance and synchronization are improved, but security against attacks on timing becomes worsened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime synchronization reliabilityVSAvoidsecurity risks from timing attacks

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces alignment check packets (ACPs) as intermediary diagnostic packets that traverse the network to measure timing relationships between nodes. These ACPs act as mediators to detect timing attacks without disrupting normal time-sensitive traffic, allowing security monitoring while preserving the reliability benefits of time-synchronized networking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where diagnostic information from alignment check packets is analyzed to detect timing anomalies and attacks. The feedback loop enables continuous monitoring of timing relationships and provides alerts when timing deviations indicate security threats, allowing the system to maintain synchronization reliability while detecting attacks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If diagnostic streams and alignment check packets are added to detect timing attacks, then security monitoring capability is improved, but network complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattack detection capabilityVSAvoidnetwork protocol complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the diagnostic function from the primary time-sensitive traffic by using separate alignment check packets that can be independently transmitted and processed. This segmentation allows security monitoring capabilities to be added without complicating the core time synchronization protocol, as ACPs follow the same packet structure and scheduling mechanisms as existing TSN traffic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Loss of time

If constant monitoring of TSNs is implemented to characterize interference immediately, then security response time is improved, but processing overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity response timeVSAvoidprocessing overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic monitoring using alignment check packets that are transmitted at regular intervals rather than continuous monitoring. This periodic action provides sufficient security coverage to detect timing attacks while minimizing processing overhead, as the monitoring function is activated only at discrete measurement points rather than continuously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS12218813B2Cross-network time-alignment characterization for scheduled traffic

Publication Date: 2025.02.04 INTEL CORP

AI summary

Techniques include a method, apparatus, system and computer-readable medium to detect, quantify and localize attacks to enhance security for time-synchronized networking. Embodiments include a diagnostic stream producer to produce diagnostic information providing evidence of a timing attack on a node of a time-synchronized network. Embodiments include a diagnostic stream consumer to consume diagnostic information, analyze the diagnostic information, and determine whether a node is under a timing attack. Other embodiments are described and claimed.