Instructional Leadership, emphasis: K-12 School Leadership (MEd)
Wires that are connected to a computer.

Unequally Powered Cryptography with Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs)


Description

The technology creates unequally powered cryptography between a server that contains physically unclonable functions (PUFs) and a client device that stores the readings of the same PUFs in look-up tables. Because the server needs greater computing power than the client device, a computing power asymmetry is created. With this technology, the server generates cryptographic keys from the PUFs, injects erratic bits into the keys, and uses the keys to encrypt a known authentication message. Using the look-up tables, the client device processes the cipher received from the server with a strong response-based cryptography (RBC) engine and a powerful computer, uncovers the cryptographic keys, and uses the keys to communicate through encrypted messages. When the environment is hostile, higher levels of erratic bits are injected into the server’s cryptographic keys. Then, the client device increases its computing power to uncover the server’s cryptographic keys, thereby placing attackers with inferior computing power at a strong disadvantage.

Additional information

Patent number and inventor

16/683,943

Bertrand Cambou

Potential applications

This technology is designed for use with protecting strategic assets and internet of things devices.

Benefits and advantages

The level of security provided by the scheme is adjustable to the level of hostility of the environment as variable noise can be injected into the PUFs. With this technology, the computing power asymmetry offers higher level of protection to devices with weak computing power.

Case number and licensing status

2019-007

This invention is available for licensing.