US 11,606,211 B2Granted

Secured system operation

AssigneeIrdeto B.V.

InventorsClifford Liem, John O'Connor

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Abstract

A method of operating a system, wherein the system comprises a plurality of components, the method comprising: maintaining a distributed ledger, wherein the distributed ledger comprises data records, wherein each data record stores information concerning one or more respective components of the plurality of components; at least one component of the plurality of components processing the information stored in one or more respective data records of the distributed ledger to determine whether the system meets one or more respective security criteria; and one or both of: (i) the at least one component performing a respective first action if the at least one component determines that the system meets the one or more respective security criteria; and (ii) the at least one component performing a respective second action if the at least one component determines that the system does not meet the one or more respective security criteria.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of operating at least part of a system, wherein the system comprises a plurality of components, wherein the system maintains a distributed ledger, wherein the distributed ledger comprises data records, wherein each data record stores information concerning one or more respective components of the plurality of components, wherein the distributed ledger is a distributed data store arranged so that:

(a) each of the data records of the distributed ledger is, respectively, replicated at multiple components of the plurality of components of the system;
and (b) each of the data records of the distributed ledger is stored as part of the distributed ledger after, respectively, multiple components of the plurality of components of the system have together reached consensus on that data record;
the method comprising:
at least one component of the plurality of components processing the information stored in one or more respective data records of the distributed ledger to determine whether the system meets one or more respective security criteria;
and
one or both of:
(i) the at least one component performing a respective first action if the at least one component determines that the system meets the one or more respective security criteria;
and
(ii) the at least one component performing a respective second action if the at least one component determines that the system does not meet the one or more respective security criteria;
wherein the one or more security criteria comprise one or more of the following:
(a) a criterion that a particular component of the plurality of components is a predetermined version of that component;
(b) a criterion that a particular component of the plurality of components is at least a predetermined minimum version of that component;
(c) a criterion that, for one or more components of the plurality of components, a corresponding integrity check of that component indicates that that component has not been compromised;
(d) a criterion that, for one or more software components of the plurality of components, a corresponding anti-debugging check of that component indicates that that component either is not or has not been executed within a debugger;
(e) a criterion that, for one or more components of the plurality of components, a corresponding anti-hooking check of that component indicates that that component either is not or has not experienced hooking;
(f) a criterion that, for one or more components of the plurality of components, corresponding resource usage is less than a predetermined threshold;
(g) a criterion that, for one or more components of the plurality of components, a security check in relation to that component has been successfully conducted sufficiently recently;
(h) a criterion that the current performance characteristics of one or more components of the plurality of components correspond to expected performance characteristics of those one or more components.

15 more elements

A system comprising a plurality of components, wherein:

the system is arranged to maintain a distributed ledger, wherein the distributed ledger comprises data records, wherein each data record stores information concerning one or more respective components of the plurality of components, wherein the distributed ledger is a distributed data store arranged so that:
(a) each of the data records of the distributed ledger is, respectively, replicated at multiple components of the plurality of components of the system;
and (b) each of the data records of the distributed ledger is stored as part of the distributed ledger after, respectively, multiple components of the plurality of components of the system have together reached consensus on that data record;
at least one component of the plurality of components includes at least one computer processor and at least one memory device storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one computer processor, cause the at least one computer processor to process the information stored in one or more respective data records of the distributed ledger to determine whether the system meets one or more respective security criteria;
and
one or both of:
(i) the at least one component is arranged to perform a respective first action if the at least one component determines that the system meets the one or more respective security criteria;
and
(ii) the at least one component is arranged to perform a respective second action if the at least one component determines that the system does not meet the one or more respective security criteria;
wherein the one or more security criteria comprise one or more of the following:
(a) a criterion that a particular component of the plurality of components is a predetermined version of that component;
(b) a criterion that a particular component of the plurality of components is at least a predetermined minimum version of that component;
(c) a criterion that, for one or more components of the plurality of components, a corresponding integrity check of that component indicates that that component has not been compromised;
(d) a criterion that, for one or more software components of the plurality of components, a corresponding anti-debugging check of that component indicates that that component either is not or has not been executed within a debugger;
(e) a criterion that, for one or more components of the plurality of components, a corresponding anti-hooking check of that component indicates that that component either is not or has not experienced hooking;
(f) a criterion that, for one or more components of the plurality of components, corresponding resource usage is less than a predetermined threshold;
(g) a criterion that, for one or more components of the plurality of components, a security check in relation to that component has been successfully conducted sufficiently recently;
(h) a criterion that the current performance characteristics of one or more components of the plurality of components correspond to expected performance characteristics of those one or more components.

15 more elements

A component of a system, the system comprising a plurality of components, wherein the system maintains a distributed ledger, wherein the distributed ledger comprises data records, wherein each data record stores information concerning one or more respective components of the plurality of components, wherein the distributed ledger is a distributed data store arranged so that:

(a) each of the data records of the distributed ledger is, respectively, replicated at multiple components of the plurality of components of the system;
and (b) each of the data records of the distributed ledger is stored as part of the distributed ledger after, respectively, multiple components of the plurality of components of the system have together reached consensus on that data record;
wherein said component includes at least one computer processor and at least one memory device storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one computer processor, cause the at least one computer processor to:
process the information stored in one or more respective data records of the distributed ledger to determine whether the system meets one or more respective security criteria;
and
one or both of:
(i) perform a respective first action if said component determines that the system meets the one or more respective security criteria;
and
(ii) perform a respective second action if said component determines that the system does not meet the one or more respective security criteria;
wherein the one or more security criteria comprise one or more of the following:
(a) a criterion that a particular component of the plurality of components is a predetermined version of that component;
(b) a criterion that a particular component of the plurality of components is at least a predetermined minimum version of that component;
(c) a criterion that, for one or more components of the plurality of components, a corresponding integrity check of that component indicates that that component has not been compromised;
(d) a criterion that, for one or more software components of the plurality of components, a corresponding anti-debugging check of that component indicates that that component either is not or has not been executed within a debugger;
(e) a criterion that, for one or more components of the plurality of components, a corresponding anti-hooking check of that component indicates that that component either is not or has not experienced hooking;
(f) a criterion that, for one or more components of the plurality of components, corresponding resource usage is less than a predetermined threshold;
(g) a criterion that, for one or more components of the plurality of components, a security check in relation to that component has been successfully conducted sufficiently recently;
(h) a criterion that the current performance characteristics of one or more components of the plurality of components correspond to expected performance characteristics of those one or more components.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/489,389Filed 8 Mar 2018
Priority: GB 170386410 Mar 2017
Published: US 2020/0007342 A12 Jan 2020
Granted: 14 Mar 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H04L 9/3239
Using cryptographic hash functions: involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD
G06F 16/2365
Updating: ensuring data consistency and integrity
G06F 21/57
Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems: certifying or…
G07C 5/008
Registering or indicating the working of vehicles: communicating information to a remotely located station