IP Library Granted Patent US 10,372,587
Granted Patent B1
US 10,372,587 · App. 15/347,393 · Granted Aug 6, 2019

Electronic device monitoring using induced electromagnetic emissions from software stress techniques

Inventors: Oren Sternberg (San Diego, CA); John D. Rockway (San Diego, CA); Mitchell Lerner (San Diego, CA); Israel Perez (Newport, RI)
Assignee: The United States of America as represented by Secretary of the Navy
G06F11/3616G06F11/3612
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,372,587
App. No.
15/347,393
Granted
Aug 6, 2019
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method involves using one or more software programs to stress a powered electronic device in a test environment to induce controlled electromagnetic emissions from the powered electronic device, using the controlled electromagnetic emissions to generate an emission profile of the powered electronic device operating under stress, monitoring spurious electromagnetic emissions of the powered electronic device in an operational environment, and comparing the spurious electromagnetic emissions of the powered electronic device in the operational environment with the emission profile of the powered electronic device to determine that the powered electronic device is operating under stress in the operational environment.

Claims (32)

1. A method comprising the steps of:

using one or more software programs installed on a computer to stress a powered electronic device in a test environment to induce a repeatable sequence of controlled electromagnetic emissions from the powered electronic device;

using the controlled electromagnetic emissions to generate an emission profile of the powered electronic device operating under stress;

monitoring spurious electromagnetic emissions of the powered electronic device in an operational environment; comparing the spurious electromagnetic emissions of the powered electronic device in the operational environment with the emission profile of the powered electronic device; and

alerting a user that the powered electronic device is undergoing an attack if the spurious electromagnetic emissions exceed the emission profile.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the software programs comprise software diagnostic tools.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the software diagnostic tools monitor and address at least one of load, stability, and environmental control of the powered electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the powered electronic device is an embedded device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the powered electronic device is a central processing unit.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the powered electronic device is a graphical processing unit.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the powered electronic device is a memory device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlled electromagnetic emissions comprise radio frequency emissions.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of displaying, via a display device operatively connected to the computer, an alert to the user of the computer indicating that the powered electronic device is operating under stress in the operational environment due to the attack on the powered electronic device.

10. A method comprising the steps of:

using one or more software diagnostic tools installed on a computer to stress an embedded device in a test environment to induce a repeatable sequence of controlled electromagnetic emissions from the embedded device;

using the repeatable sequence of controlled electromagnetic emissions to generate an emission profile of the embedded device operating under stress;

monitoring spurious electromagnetic emissions of embedded device in an operational environment;

comparing the spurious electromagnetic emissions of the embedded device in the operational environment with the emission profile of the embedded device to determine that the embedded device is operating under stress in the operational environment: and

triggering an alert if it is determined that the embedded device is operating under stress in the operational environment due to an attack.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the software diagnostic tools monitor and address at least one of load, stability, and environmental control of e embedded device.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the embedded device is a central processing unit.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the embedded device is a graphical processing unit.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the embedded device is a memory device.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising a step of displaying, via a display device operatively connected to the computer, an alert to a user of the computer indicating that the embedded device is operating under stress in the operational environment due to the attack on the embedded device.

16. A system comprising:

a powered electronic device;

an electromagnetic probe located close enough to the powered electronic device to collect spurious electromagnetic signals from the powered electronic device, wherein the electromagnetic probe is separated from the powered electronic device by an air gap, and wherein the spurious electromagnetic signals are unintended emissions inherent to powered electronic components;

a computer, communicatively coupled to the electromagnetic probe, wherein the computer comprises a memory store having an emission profile of the powered electronic device stored therein, wherein the emission profile represents the spurious electromagnetic emissions behavior of the powered electronic device under a variety of controlled conditions, wherein the computer is configured via computer-implemented programming code stored therein to monitor spurious electromagnetic emissions of the powered electronic device in an operational environment and compare the spurious electromagnetic emissions of the powered electronic device in the operational environment with the emission profile of the powered electronic device and further configured to trigger an alert when the computer determines based on the comparison that the powered electronic device is operating under stress in the operational environment due to an attack on the powered electronic device.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the powered electronic device is a central processing unit.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the powered electronic device is a graphical processing unit.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the powered electronic device is a memory device.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the computer has a display device operatively connected thereto, wherein the computer is further configured to display via the display device an alert to a user of the computer indicating that the powered electronic device is operating under stress in the operational environment.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 9, 2016
From: STERNBERG, OREN; ROCKWAY, JOHN D.; LERNER, MITCHELL; PEREZ, ISRAEL
To: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
Reel/Frame 040271/0872 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 62253018 · Nov 9, 2015
Cited By (2)
US 12,418,349 US 12,613,999