20100176920 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PROVIDING DIGITAL SECURITY - This invention relates to a method and system for providing digital security by means of a reconfigurable physical uncloneable function, RPUF. The RPUF comprises a physical system constituted by distributed components arranged to generate a first response when receiving a first challenge at a point of the physical system. The physical reconfiguring of the RPUF comprises redistributing the components such that they generate a second response, which differs from said first response, when again applying the first challenge at the point. The reconfiguration step is further utilized in providing secure storage for digital items. The digital item is data of any kind, including data that needs to be accessed and updated, i.e. which is dynamic in nature. The method is exemplified by implementations such as secure storage of a key, a secure counter and a seed generator. | 07-15-2010 |
20100177898 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING AUTHENTICATION - The present invention relates to an electronic device, comprising a physical uncloneable function (PUF) module, and circuitry adapted to receive a cryptographic query (α) from an electronic unit, read, from the PUF module, data generated at a challenge of the PUF module, and generate a cryptographic response (β) based on the data, a random noise component comprised in the data, and the cryptographic query (α), thereby enabling authentication of the electronic device. An advantage with the invention is that it will not be necessary to include an additional random generator together with the electronic device, as the fuzzy output provided by the PUF module can be seen as already containing a random noise component. In some cryptographic schemes, the random noise provides for a possibility to reach a higher level of security and to minimize the possibility for a third party to find patterns in cryptographic responses generated during use of the electronic device. The present invention also relates to a similar authentication method. | 07-15-2010 |