Method and system for security and authentication of aircraft data transmissions
AssigneeThompson Aerospace
InventorsMark Steven Thompson, Trevor Coolidge, Curtis Michael Rihn, Lars Elof Rosenblad
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus that ensures that an aircraft system network controls access by multiple users (403a, 403b, 403c) of electronic devices (402a, 402b, 402c) equipped with a related hardware device (404a, 404b, 404c), by a combination of authentication, integrity, and encryption, using hardware security such as HSE/HSM or equivalent to establish the credentials for each component that is allowed on the network.
Claims22
A method of secure authentication for aircraft data transmissions, said method comprising:
- provisioning a hardware-based security engine (HSE) located in an aircraft communications system, said HSE having been manufactured in a secure environment and certified in said secure environment as part of an approved network;
- providing asynchronous authentication, validation and encryption of data by way of said HSE, said HSE in communication with a ground or other aircraft computing system on said approved network;
- storing user permissions data and connection status data in an access control list used to define allowable data communications paths of said approved network;
- and
- enabling communications of said aircraft communications system with a ground or other aircraft computing system subject to said access control list.
3 The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said method precludes sending data to, receiving data from, and corrupting data by denying access to all non-authorized UDs.
A system for secure authentication of aircraft data transmissions, said system comprising:
- an aircraft system including
- a security engine providing keys and passphrases for asynchronous validation and encryption of aircraft data transmissions,
- one or more trusted processors for processing aircraft data,
- a communication mechanism for transmission of said aircraft data via said security engine to a user;
- a user device enabling said user to connect to said security engine via said communication mechanism;
- and
- an access control list having a list of authorized user devices and users, said list being used to define allowable data communications paths of said aircraft data, said list being updatable by said security engine.
A system for secure authentication for aircraft data transmissions, said system comprising:
- a hardware-based security engine (HSE) located in an aircraft communications system, said HSE having been manufactured in a secure environment and certified in said secure environment as part of an approved network;
- a means for providing asynchronous authentication, validation and encryption of data by way of said HSE, said HSE in communication with a ground or other aircraft computing system on said approved network;
- a means for storing user permissions data and connection status data in an access control list used to define allowable data communications paths of said approved network;
- and
- a means for enabling communications of said aircraft communications system with a ground or other aircraft computing system subject to said access control list.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.