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US 11,889,392 B2Granted
Aircraft network cybersecurity apparatus and methods
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsDaniel Nguyen, Michael Vanguardia, Adonis Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Mapping of an avionic network is obfuscated by interposing a network module between an external-access node and a bus of an avionics network. First and second network maps are generated and loaded on the network module. The network map accessible to the external-access node is changed from the first network map to the second network map, to disrupt any reconnaissance of the avionics network.
Claims20
A method of obfuscating mapping of an avionic network, comprising:
- operatively coupling a network module between an external-access node and an avionics bus of the avionic network with all communications between the external-access node and the avionics bus passing through the network module;
- generating, by means of a randomization engine, a first network map identifying one-to-one network address translations for a set of components on at least a portion of the avionics bus;
- loading the first network map on the network module;
- making the first network map on the network module accessible to the external-access node;
- generating, by means of a randomization engine, at least a second network map identifying one-to-one network address translations for the set of components, the second network map being different from the first network map,
- loading the second network map on the network module;
- disrupting any reconnaissance of the avionic network by changing the network map accessible to the external-access node from the first network map to the second network map;
- wherein disrupting reconnaissance maintains authorization of an external device to access the network through the external-access node;
- and
- wherein any scanned network map of the avionics network from an external-access node is rendered ineffective once the accessible network map changes.
7 more elements
A network module for obfuscating mapping of an avionic network, wherein the network module is operatively coupled to the avionic network and configured to:
- be operatively interposed between an avionics bus of the avionic network and an external-access node with all communications between the external-access node and the avionics bus passing through the network module;
- generate a first one-to-one network map identifying substitute local network IP addresses for a set of components on at least a portion of the avionic network;
- make the first network map on the network module accessible to the external-access node;
- generate a second one-to-one network map identifying substitute local network IP addresses for the set of components, the second network map being different from the first network map;
- and
- obfuscate network locations of the set of components by changing the network map accessible to the external-access node from the first network map to the second network map;
- wherein the obfuscation maintains authorization of an external device to access the network through the external-access node;
- and
- wherein any scanned network map of the avionics network from an external-access node is rendered ineffective once the accessible network map changes.
6 more elements
A system for obfuscating network mapping of an avionic network of an aircraft, comprising:
- a first container including a first network map identifying network addresses for network components of at least a first portion of the avionic network;
- a second container including a second network map identifying network addresses for network components of at least a second portion of the avionic network, the second network map being different from the first network map;
- a switching device configured to interpose the first container between an avionics bus of the avionic network and an external-access node, and in response to at least a first criterion, replacing the first container with the second container interposed between the avionics bus and the external-access node for changing the network map accessible to the external-access node from the first network map to the second network map;
- wherein:
- each of the first and second containers are software packages comprised of an application, configurations, and dependencies;
- each of the first and second containers form isolated user space instances;
- and
- the isolated user space instances are unable to access a host operating system.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.