Secure crypto module including optical security pathway

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11205016-B2
Application number	US-201916426705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2019
Priority date	Mar 24, 2016
Publication date	Dec 21, 2021
Grant date	Dec 21, 2021

Abstract

An optical electromagnetic radiation (EM) emitter and receiver are located upon a printed circuit board (PCB) layer and are optically connected to an optical security pathway that is between a pair of signal traces. A predetermined reference flux is determined, the reference flux being the expected EM transmitted by the optical security pathway and received by the receiver. When the PCB is subject to an unauthorized access thereof (e.g., drilled, sawed, cut, etc.), the optical EM transferred by optical security pathway is altered. An optical monitoring device that monitors the flux of the optical EM received by the receiver detects a change in flux, in relation to the reference flux, and passes a tamper signal to one or more computer system devices to respond to the unauthorized access. For example, one or more cryptographic adapter card or computer system functions or secured crypto components may be disabled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cryptographic adapter card comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a connector that interconnects with a motherboard;
a secure crypto module comprising a daughter card electrically connected to the PCB;
the daughter card comprising: a wiring dielectric layer, a pair of neighboring signal traces upon the wiring dielectric layer, an optical waveguide upon the wiring dielectric layer between and contacting the pair of neighboring signal traces, an optical electromagnetic radiation (EM) emitter upon the wiring dielectric layer optically connected to a first end of the optical waveguide, an optical EM receiver upon the wiring dielectric layer optically connected to a second end of the optical waveguide, and a crypto component;
wherein a destruct feature of the crypto component is programmed in response to the optical EM receiver detecting a predetermined threshold decrease in optical flux of optical EM that is emitted from the optical EM emitter, that is transmitted by the optical waveguide, and that is received at the optical EM receiver.

2. The cryptographic adapter card of claim 1 , wherein the pair of neighboring signal traces comprises a first conductive signal trace directly upon the wiring dielectric layer and a second conductive signal trace directly upon the wiring dielectric layer.

3. The cryptographic adapter card of claim 2 , wherein a first sidewall of the optical waveguide contacts the first conductive signal trace and a second sidewall of the optical waveguide contacts the second conductive signal trace.

4. The cryptographic adapter card of claim 1 , wherein the daughter card further comprises an optical monitor device that generates a tamper signal in response to the optical EM receiver detecting the predetermined threshold decrease in optical flux.

5. The cryptographic adapter card of claim 4 , wherein the daughter card further comprises an enable device that upon receipt of the tamper signal from the monitor device programs the destruct feature.

6. The cryptographic adapter card of claim 1 , wherein the optical waveguide comprises a core surrounded by a cladding layer.

7. The cryptographic adapter card of claim 1 , wherein the daughter card further comprises an optically opaque encapsulation layer upon the transparent dielectric layer.

8. The cryptographic adapter card of claim 1 , wherein the optical EM receiver detects the predetermined threshold decrease in optical flux as a result of a void that intersects the optical waveguide.

9. A data handling electronic device comprising:
a motherboard comprising a processor and a memory;
a cryptographic adapter card connected to the motherboard, the cryptographic adapter card comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a connector that interconnects with the motherboard;
a secure crypto module comprising a daughter card electrically connected to the PCB;
the daughter card comprising: a wiring dielectric layer, a pair of neighboring signal traces upon the wiring dielectric layer, an optical waveguide upon the wiring dielectric layer between and contacting the pair of neighboring signal traces, an optical electromagnetic radiation (EM) emitter upon the wiring dielectric layer optically connected to a first end of the optical waveguide, an optical EM receiver upon the wiring dielectric layer optically connected to a second end of the optical waveguide, and a crypto component;
wherein a destruct feature of the crypto component is programmed in response to the optical EM receiver detecting a predetermined threshold decrease in optical flux of optical EM that is emitted from the optical EM emitter, that is transmitted by the optical waveguide, and that is received at the optical EM receiver.

10. The data handling electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the pair of neighboring signal traces comprises a first conductive signal trace directly upon the wiring dielectric layer and a second conductive signal trace directly upon the wiring dielectric layer.

11. The data handling electronic device of claim 10 , wherein a first sidewall of the optical waveguide contacts the first conductive signal trace and a second sidewall of the optical waveguide contacts the second conductive signal trace.

12. The data handling electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the daughter card further comprises an optical monitor device that generates a tamper signal in response to the optical EM receiver detecting the predetermined threshold decrease in optical flux.

13. The data handling electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the daughter card further comprises an enable device that upon receipt of the tamper signal from the monitor device programs the destruct feature.

14. The data handling electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the optical waveguide comprises a core surrounded by a cladding layer.

15. The data handling electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the daughter card further comprises an optically opaque encapsulation layer upon the transparent dielectric layer.

16. The data handling electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the optical EM receiver detects the predetermined threshold decrease in optical flux as a result of a void that intersects the optical waveguide.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Berge Layne A
• Dangler John R
• Doyle Matthew S
• Liang Thomas W
• Orozco Manuel

Classifications

• G06F21/72 Primary

  in cryptographic circuits · CPC title

• H04B10/85

  Protection from unauthorised access, e.g. eavesdrop protection · CPC title

• G06F21/75

  by inhibiting the analysis of circuitry or operation · CPC title

• G06F21/86

  Secure or tamper-resistant housings · CPC title