Watchdog key system for data security in unmanned undersea vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11444764-B2
Application number	US-202016877001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2020
Priority date	Jul 17, 2019
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

An underwater vehicle system includes a data security system. The data security system includes a data pod including persistent storage. The persistent storage stores encrypted data. The security system includes a watchdog. The watchdog includes at least one processor. The security system includes a watchdog key. The watchdog key is stored in volatile storage. The watchdog key is configured to be used to decrypt the encrypted data. The data security system is configured to remove the watchdog key from the underwater vehicle system, thereby preventing access to the encrypted data on the data pod.

First claim

We claim:

1. An underwater vehicle system comprising:
a data security system, further comprising:
a data pod, comprising persistent storage, the persistent storage storing encrypted data;
a watchdog, wherein the watchdog comprises at least one processor;
a watchdog key, wherein the watchdog key is stored in volatile storage, the watchdog key configured to be used to decrypt the encrypted data; and
wherein the data security system is configured to remove the watchdog key from the underwater vehicle system upon the watchdog detecting a condition where the encrypted data at the persistent storage needs to be protected, thereby preventing access to the encrypted data on the data pod, wherein the condition where the encrypted data at the persistent storage needs to be protected comprises detecting inability of the underwater vehicle system to move for a particular period of time.

2. The underwater vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the data pod is configured to store collected data related to a mission for the underwater vehicle system, as at least a portion of the encrypted data.

3. The underwater vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the watchdog is configured to detect tampering or unauthorized access to the underwater vehicle system.

4. The underwater vehicle system of claim 3 , wherein upon detecting tampering or unauthorized access to the underwater vehicle system the watchdog is configured to remove the watchdog key from the underwater vehicle system.

5. The underwater vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein removing the watchdog key from the underwater vehicle system comprises overwriting the watchdog key with other values.

6. The underwater vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the underwater vehicle system is configured to connect to a control computer configured to provide the watchdog key.

7. The underwater vehicle system of claim 6 , wherein the control computer is configured to generate the watchdog key on the underwater vehicle system.

8. The underwater vehicle system of claim 7 , wherein the control computer is configured to wirelessly generate the watchdog key on the underwater vehicle system.

9. The underwater vehicle system of claim 7 , wherein the control computer is configured to regenerate the watchdog key.

10. The underwater vehicle system of claim 9 , wherein the control computer is configured to decrypt the data pod on the underwater vehicle system.

11. The underwater vehicle system of claim 10 , wherein the control computer is configured to wirelessly decrypt the data pod on the underwater vehicle system.

12. The underwater vehicle system of claim 10 , wherein the control computer is configured to be coupled to the underwater vehicle system and decrypt the data pod on the underwater vehicle system.

13. The underwater vehicle system of claim 6 , wherein the control computer is not located on the underwater vehicle system.

14. The underwater vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the watchdog is configured to movement of the underwater vehicle system to an unexpected location, and to remove the watchdog key from the underwater vehicle system as a result.

15. The underwater vehicle system of claim 1 , wherein the watchdog is configured to detect an impact to the underwater vehicle system, and to remove the watchdog key from the underwater vehicle system as a result.

16. The underwater vehicle system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of sensors coupled to the data pod and wherein the data security system is configured to encrypt and store data from the sensors to the data pod using the watchdog key, such that locally collected data is protected by a watchdog key stored in volatile storage.

17. A method of protecting data at an underwater vehicle system, the method comprising:
at a data pod, comprising persistent storage, storing encrypted data at the persistent storage;
at a watchdog, comprising at least one processor, storing a watchdog key, wherein the watchdog key is stored in volatile storage, the watchdog key configured to be used to decrypt the encrypted data; and
upon the watchdog detecting a condition where the encrypted data at the persistent storage needs to be protected, removing the watchdog key from the underwater vehicle system, thereby preventing access to the encrypted data on the data pod, wherein detecting a condition where the encrypted data at the persistent storage needs to be protected comprises detecting inability of the underwater vehicle system to move for a particular period of time.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein removing the watchdog key from the underwater vehicle system is performed by overwriting the key with random values.

19. A method of manufacturing an underwater vehicle system, the method comprising:
providing a data security system, comprising:
providing a data pod, comprising persistent storage, the persistent storage configured to store encrypted data;
coupling a watchdog to the data pod, wherein the watchdog comprises at least one processor, wherein the watchdog is configured to store a watchdog key stored in volatile storage, the watchdog key configured to be used to decrypt the encrypted data; and
configuring the data security system to remove the watchdog key from the underwater vehicle system upon the watchdog detecting a condition where the encrypted data at the persistent storage needs to be protected, thereby preventing access to the encrypted data on the data pod, wherein the condition where the encrypted data at the persistent storage needs to be protected comprises detecting inability of the underwater vehicle system to move for a particular period of time.

20. The method of manufacturing an underwater vehicle system of claim 19 , further comprising configuring the data security system to remove the watchdog key from the underwater vehicle system upon the watchdog detecting tampering or unauthorized access to the underwater vehicle system.

Assignees

• L3Harris Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Aiello Jason D
• Dearruda Jeffery A
• Ludlam Kevin W
• Slocum Daryl B
• Altin Cagdas

Classifications

• H04L2209/84

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H04L9/0891

  Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying · CPC title

• G06F21/78

  to assure secure storage of data (address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00) · CPC title

• H04L63/0428 Primary

  wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload · CPC title

• H04L9/0894 Primary

  Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage · CPC title