Rogue hardware detection through power monitoring

An apparatus comprising:

• a network interface unit configured to receive communications over a network;
• and
• a processor coupled to the network interface unit and a memory and configured to:
• monitor a power on sequence of a system by monitoring power loads of functional blocks in the system in a predetermined order prior to the system being fully powered on, wherein the functional blocks each include at least one computing component and the power on sequence comprises a plurality of distinct stages that each initialize a unique functional block of the functional blocks in the predetermined order prior to the system being fully powered on;
• determine, for each distinct stage of the plurality of distinct stages of the power on sequence, whether a given power load of the monitored power loads has deviated from an expected power load of a corresponding power profile included in a composite power profile for the system, wherein each power profile in the composite power profile specifies expected power characteristics of the at least one computing component included in a corresponding unique functional block, and repeat the determine, for each distinct stage, to progress through the plurality of distinct stages of the power on sequence, and corresponding power profiles of the composite power profile, in the predetermined order;
• and
• power down the system when the given power load of a given distinct stage of the plurality of distinct stages has deviated from the expected power load for the given distinct stage.

One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to:

• monitor a power on sequence of a system by monitoring power loads of functional blocks in the system in a predetermined order prior to the system being fully powered on, wherein the functional blocks each include at least one computing component and the power on sequence comprises a plurality of distinct stages that each initialize a unique functional block of the functional blocks in the predetermined order prior to the system being fully powered on;
• determine, for each distinct stage of the plurality of distinct stages of the power on sequence, whether a given power load of the monitored power loads has deviated from an expected power load of a corresponding power profile included in a composite power profile for the system, wherein each power profile in the composite power profile specifies expected power characteristics of the at least one computing component included in a corresponding unique functional block, and repeat the determine, for each distinct stage, to progress through the plurality of distinct stages of the power on sequence, and corresponding power profiles of the composite power profile, in the predetermined order;
• and
• power down the system when the given power load of a given distinct stage of the plurality of distinct stages has deviated from the expected power load for the given distinct stage.