Correlation-based robust authentication technique using helper data only

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11411751-B2
Application number	US-201917256127-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2019
Priority date	Jun 27, 2018
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

A privacy-preserving, mutual PUF-based authentication protocol that uses soft data to exchange and correlate Helper Data bitstrings instead of PUF response bitstrings as a means of authenticating chips to prevent attacks.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for authenticating an integrated circuit chip, the method including a message exchange protocol between a client and a server, and the method comprising the steps of:
producing soft data by the client, wherein the client comprises a physical unclonable function (PUF) architecture;
transmitting the soft data by the client to the server, wherein the soft data is stored in a server database;
producing a response bitstrinq by the client to construct a client Helper Data bitstrinq;
transmitting by the client the client Helper Data bitstrinq to the server;
using by the server the soft data stored in the server database to construct a server Helper Data bitstring;
correlating the client Helper Data bitstring and the server Helper Data bitstring to obtain a correlated Helper Data bitstring;
counting a number of ‘1’s in the correlated Helper Data bitstring by the server to determine a correlation coefficient value;
comparing the correlation coefficient value to a threshold number; and
authenticating the client by the server when the correlation coefficient value meets or exceeds the threshold number.

2. The message exchange protocol according to claim 1 , wherein the soft data is digitized measurements of a signal.

3. The message exchange protocol according to claim 2 , wherein the digitized measurements are one selected from group of: a propagation delay, a voltage, and a current.

4. The message exchange protocol according to claim 1 , wherein the server Helper Data bitstring generated by the server and the client Helper Data bitstring generated by the client are correlated to determine a degree of matching that exists in a sequence of bits that define the server Helper Data bitstring and the client Helper Data bitstring.

5. The message exchange protocol according to claim 1 , wherein bits in the response bitstring produced by the client are classified as either strong or weak.

6. The message exchange protocol according to claim 1 , wherein the correlation coefficient value is used to mutually authenticate the client and the server.

7. The message exchange protocol according to claim 1 , wherein the client or the server is not revealed to third parties.

Assignees

• Unm Rainforest Innovations

Inventors

• Plusquellic James
• Areno Matt

Classifications

• H04L63/0869

  for achieving mutual authentication (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273) · CPC title

• H04L9/3278 Primary

  using physically unclonable functions [PUF] · CPC title

• G06F21/73

  by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers · CPC title

• G09C1/02 Primary

  by using a ciphering code in chart form · CPC title