Tamper detection system
AssigneeSquare, Inc.
InventorsJeremy Wade, Sean Michael Hafemann
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Abstract
Disclosed is a technique for prevention of false tamper positives experienced by an electronic device by use of a custom profile. The technique includes electrically coupling a conductive trace to a tamper monitoring component for use in tamper detection on the trace. Upon occurrence of the threshold voltage on the conductive trace, a tamper event is detected. A second conductive trace is monitored over time to determine behavior of the device. If the device is likely to trigger tamper responses in response to change in environment, the threshold voltage is changed to tamper positives triggered by environment.
Claims22
A card reader with built-in tamper protection, the card reader comprising:
- a processor;
- a card reader interface coupled to the processor, to read data from a payment card;
- a security component configured to control access to sensitive data stored within the card reader;
- a first conductive trace and a second conductive trace, each disposed within the card reader to facilitate detection of tampering that satisfies a tampering-induced condition;
- and
- a tamper monitoring component coupled to the first conductive trace and the second conductive trace, the tamper monitoring component configured to:
- select the first conductive trace to detect tampering with the card reader and the second conductive trace to monitor a behavior of the card reader;
- detect a tampering-induced condition associated with the first conductive trace, wherein the tampering-induced condition includes a short circuit condition or an open circuit condition, and wherein the tamper monitoring component detects the tampering-induced condition as a change in voltage below a predetermined threshold;
- output a signal to disable access to the sensitive data stored within the card reader in response to detecting the tampering-induced condition;
- monitor transient voltages on the second conductive trace over a period of time, wherein the transient voltages are caused by one or more changes in an environment in which the card reader operates, including changes in temperature, humidity, or pressure experienced by the card reader;
- based on the transient voltages being monitored over the period of time, generate a profile customized to the card reader, wherein the profile indicates a new threshold different from the predetermined threshold used to detect the tampering-induced condition;
- and
- apply the new threshold on the first conductive trace to determine whether the tampering-induced condition is satisfied.
An electronic device comprising:
- a processor;
- a set of conductors configured to facilitate triggering of a tamper response on detection of an event satisfying a tamper condition;
- and
- a memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the electronic device to perform operations including:
- determining, based at least in part on detecting a change in an environment, whether the set of conductors changes behavior by transitioning from an untampered state to a tampered state such that the tampered state triggers the tamper response;
- and
- modifying the tamper condition for the set of conductors upon determining the change from the untampered state to the tampered state.
A method of detecting tampering in an electronic device, the method comprising:
- receiving, by a component of the electronic device, state data associated with at least one tamper sub-system associated with the electronic device;
- determining, by the component of the electronic device and based at least in part on analyzing the state data, whether the electronic device changes from an untampered state to a tampered state in response to a change in environment, such that the tampered state triggers a tamper response;
- creating, by the component of the electronic device and based at least in part on determining that the electronic device changes from the untampered state to the tampered state, a tamper profile specific to the electronic device;
- and
- associating, by the component of the electronic device, the tamper profile with the tamper sub-system to prevent future instances of false triggering of the tamper response due to the change in the environment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.