Tamper detection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9892293-B1
Application number	US-201615382165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2016
Priority date	Dec 16, 2016
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is a technique for prevention of false tamper positives experienced by an electronic device by use of a custom profile. The technique includes application of sensors of the device to collect data from the environment. Further, the device determines whether an event causes accidental triggering of tamper response as the environmental data varies. Accordingly, the conditions triggering a tamper response are dynamically changed as the environmental data changes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A card reader with built-in tamper protection, the card reader comprising:
a processor;
a card reader interface coupled to the processor, to read data from a payment card;
a tamper monitoring component configured to:
monitor voltage measurements on at least one conductive trace disposed within the card reader to facilitate detection of tampering;
detect a tampering-induced condition as a change in voltage below a predetermined threshold resulting upon an attempt of tampering with the card reader; and
output a signal to disable access to sensitive data stored within the card reader in response to detecting the tampering-induced condition; and

one or more sensors configured to obtain the voltage measurements on the at least one conductive trace disposed within;
wherein the tamper monitoring component is further configured to:
monitor the voltage measurements obtained by the one or more sensors over time;
identify a variation, over time, in the voltage measurements caused by one or more changes in an environment in which the card reader operates, the one or more changes in the environment comprising at least one of a change in temperature, humidity, or pressure experienced by the card reader;
determine, based at least in part on the variation in the voltage measurements over time, a new threshold below which the change in voltage indicates a tampering-induced condition;
generate a profile customized to the card reader, wherein the profile indicates the new threshold different from the predetermined threshold used to detect the tampering-induced condition; and
apply the new threshold to determine whether or not any changes in voltage satisfy the tampering-induced condition.

2. The card reader of claim 1 , wherein the processor executes instructions to:
detect, via a radio frequency (RF) transceiver of the card reader, at least one communication device within a communication range of the card reader, wherein the communication range is based on a RF communication protocol;
establish, as per the RF communication protocol, a communication channel between the card reader and the communication device;
obtain, by the card reader, a profile of the communication device and variations in voltage measurements obtained for the communication device;
compare the variations in voltage measurements obtained for the communication device with the variation in the voltage measurements of the card reader;
determine, based at least in part on the profile customized to the card reader, whether the variations in the voltage measurements obtained for the communication device are capable of triggering the tampering-induced condition based on the new threshold; and
configure the profile of the communication device to match the profile of the card reader.

3. The card reader of claim 1 , further comprising a clock configured to provide timing signals, wherein the timing signals are configured to synchronize the detection of the tampering-induced condition and the monitoring of the voltage measurements obtained by the one or more sensors.

4. An electronic device comprising:
a processor;
one or more sensors configured to obtain measurements for at least one device characteristic of the electronic device over time; and
a memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the electronic device to perform operations including:
determining that a change in the measurements for the at least one device characteristic satisfies a tamper condition which indicates tampering with the electronic device;
determining that the change in the measurements for the at least one device characteristic was caused at least partly by a change in an environment of the electronic device; and
modifying the tamper condition for the electronic device based at least in part on the change in the measurements.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein:
the at least one device characteristic is related to operational features or physical features of one or more components embedded in the electronic device;
the change in the environment of the electronic device comprises a change in at least one of temperature, humidity, or pressure experienced by the electronic device; and
the operations further including:
based on the change in the measurements for the at least one device characteristic, generate a profile customized to the electronic device, wherein the profile indicates a threshold for satisfying the tamper condition.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , the at least one device characteristic comprises at least one of a physical location of the electronic device, timing parameters, radiated performance, wireless performance, quality of communication links, radio frequency response, transmission measurements, receiver measurements, or engineering tolerances.

7. The electronic device of claim 5 , the instructions further cause the electronic device to perform operations including:
detecting, via a radio frequency (RF) transceiver of the electronic device, at least one communication device within a communication range of the electronic device, wherein the communication range is based on a RF communication protocol;
establishing, as per the RF communication protocol, a communication channel between the electronic device and the communication device;
obtaining, by the electronic device, a profile of the communication device and variations in measurements for the at least one device characteristic specific to the communication device;
comparing the variations reported by the communication device with the change in the measurements for the at least one device characteristic of the electronic device; and
configuring the profile of the electronic device to match the profile of the communication device.

8. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of an accelerometer, an antenna, a gyrometer, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, or a location sensor.

9. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein:
the one or more sensors obtain measurements for at least one of temperature, pressure, or humidity; and
determining that the change in the measurements for the at least one device characteristic was caused at least partly by a change in an environment of the electronic device comprises identifying a change in the measurements for the at least one of temperature, pressure, or humidity.

10. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein modifying the tamper condition is further based at least in part on the change in the environment reported by a cluster of devices, similar to the electronic device and in proximity to the electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the instructions further cause the electronic device to perform operating including configuring at least one conductor from a set of conductors originally configured to facilitate detection of the change in the measurements for the at least one device characteristic satisfying the tamper condition to now facilitate determining behavior of the at least one conductor in response to the change in the environment.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the configuring is based on data reported by other electronic devices in proximity to the electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the set of conductors includes a first conductor and a second conductor, wherein portions of the first and second conductors are interwoven with each other along an interior planar layer of the electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising a tamper monitor

Assignees

• Square Inc

Inventors

• Wade Jeremy
• Hafemann Sean Michael

Classifications

• G06K7/10277 Primary

  the arrangement being mechanical, such as reinforced housings or protective cages against unlawful entry · CPC title

• G07F7/0873

  Details of the card reader · CPC title

• G06F21/86 Primary

  Secure or tamper-resistant housings · CPC title

• G06Q20/4016

  involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing · CPC title

• G07F19/2055

  Anti-skimming aspects at ATMs · CPC title