Whole apparatus having an authentication arrangement, and method for authentication

#The disclosure relates to a whole apparatus having an authentication arrangement for a communication connection, using a communication protocol, between two data processing devices of the whole apparatus, wherein the data processing devices each have an interface unit for the communication connection and a computation unit, particularly a CPU, and/or a GPU, and/or an FPGA, and/or a ASIC. In addition, the disclosure relates to a method for authentication.

#Modern whole apparatuses with data processing systems, such as automobiles, are becoming increasingly complex due to the multiplicity of tasks to be performed and/or the advancement of data processing capabilities. If, for example, a motor vehicle is to be designed for a fully automatic, i.e., autonomous operation, data processing systems with high computing power are required in order to be able to securely process the environment of the motor vehicle and to be able to undertake safe trip planning. In addition to such autonomous operating options in motor vehicles as whole apparatuses, there are also increasing communication options in the area of information technology, for example, connections to clouds, to the infrastructure, and the like. Even the motor vehicle as a service platform is increasingly becoming the center of attention.

#Data processing systems of whole apparatuses, such as motor vehicles, are usually constructed from a multiplicity of data processing devices, which themselves can exhibit high performance capabilities, wherein, however, a fast and straightforward data transmission between the data processing devices via appropriate communication connections must also be ensured. For example, the communication standard “PCI Express” (often also called PCIe) can be used as a modern, fast communication technology. It is a point-to-point communication standard, which, however, can be extended by interposing bridge devices, particularly switches, hubs, multiplexers/demultiplexers, or the like. The advantage of PCI Express is particularly the high-speed communication, “DMA by design” and the fact that many compatible devices are already available on the market.

#FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a whole apparatus, according to some embodiments of the disclosure.

#FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of the method, according to some embodiments of the disclosure.

#FIG. 3 shows a diagram for partial encryption, according to some embodiments of the disclosure.

#In order to solve above problem, it is provided, according to the disclosure, in a whole apparatus of the initially described type that the interface units each have a cryptographic encryption/decryption device, at least partially produced by hardware, for encrypting at least some of the user data to be transmitted via the communication connection as part of the authentication arrangement. The encryption/decryption device can be applied in a particularly non-application-oriented communication layer of the communication protocol to the user data prepared for the physical user data transmission or to the physically received user data. Each data processing device has a security unit, implemented as dedicated hardware that the computation unit cannot access, and/or in a manner logically isolated from the computation unit, and producing a trusted execution environment. With the authentication arrangement, in each case on the basis of at least one piece of hardware-encoded key information, the user data are encrypted by the encryption/decryption device.

#The disclosure therefore proposes an authentication arrangement which is realized as hardware and thus less susceptible to manipulations. The authentication arrangement allows for a mutual authentication of the data processing devices at least implicitly, but preferably in an authentication process, via the option for secure communication via the communication connection. This is based on the hard-coded key information in the hardware of the security unit, which cannot be accessed by the computation unit. The hard-coded key information can be adapted for at least one pair of data processing devices, each to be authenticated against one other, wherein the encryption information for a pair of communicating data processing devices can be based on symmetric encryption but also on asymmetric encryption. In the case of symmetric encryption, the encryption information comprises at least one identical base key, particularly for all data processing devices. In the case of asymmetric encryption, each key information contains at least its own private key and the public keys of all communication partners provided and to be authenticated.

#In this case, as indicated, the authentication can essentially take place implicitly by the encryption concept described herein, wherein an explicit authentication process can preferably be used, particularly at the beginning of each communication session in the course of or in addition to negotiating a session key or entirely without a key negotiation. Any basically known authentication processes can be used. Expediently, an authentication takes place at the beginning of a communication session, after which a negotiation of a session key takes place upon a successful authentication. Unauthenticated data processing devices, such as correspondingly compromised and/or replaced data processing devices, are “not understood,” unable to authenticate themselves, or discovered by the absence of any encryption. The present disclosure therefore ensures that only authorized data processing devices (i.e., having matching/adapted key information) can communicate as intended.