[FYI] [Fwd: [IP] Fingerprinting CPUs] [signed]
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [IP] Fingerprinting CPUs [u]
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 12:30:12 -0500
From: David Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
To: Ip <ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
------ Forwarded Message
From: "Barrett, Randy" <rbarrett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 10:28:05 -0500
To: "'dave@xxxxxxxxxx'" <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Fingerprinting CPUs
From Washington Internet Daily 2/10/05
MIT Authenticates Individual Computers
MIT researchers are using natural variations in integrated circuits
to authenticate individual computers. The technology could be used for
security, but also for intellectual property protection, said lead
investigator Srini Devadas, who's spent the last 2 years developing the
technology under a grant from the National Science Foundation.
"There are different grades of Pentium chips," said Devadas. "Some
turn out to be faster than others." These differences can be mapped to
create a unique fingerprint for every computer. Devadas calls the new
identifier the "physical unclonable function" (PUF). The approach has
several advantages: It's extremely hard to forge, he said, and it doesn't
require separate authentication technology such as a smart chip to function.
"The chip itself is the key," he said.
With computer CPUs acting as authentication keys, sensitive
information can be passed between trusted machines, said Devadas. Making it
work requires a special program circuit be added to each CPU to make the
challenge and response possible. Devadas has talked with several commercial
suppliers about marketing the technology: "I need to convince the hardware
manufacturers that this is something that will fly," he said.
The system also could be used for intellectual property protection,
Devadas said. Copyrighted software could be programmed to run on only one
CPU and effectively blocked from further distribution. Another possible
application is the ability to remotely authenticate the execution of
programming on specific chips. "I'm talking to a bunch of people about it,"
he said. -- Randy Barrett
------ End of Forwarded Message
-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as jan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To manage your subscription, go to
http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip
Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
--
---------------------[ Ciphire Signature ]----------------------
From: jan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx signed email body (2030 characters)
Date: on 10 February 2005 at 23:35:42 UTC
To: debate@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
----------------------------------------------------------------
: Ciphire has secured this email against identity theft.
: Free download at www.ciphire.com. The garbled lines
: below are the sender's verifiable digital signature.
----------------------------------------------------------------
00fAAAAAEAAADO7wtC7gcAAHwDAAIAAgACACBYtPhCvvLfI+ll3E9flFz2GyMWks
9n3aORQrvjiinEgQEAbJf4CszV1jlSmDx4Etz8dwTWo+XWU3riqXYE3WM4dWF4LM
8lTxjBHkgcRAqhGZCmGQLQ2AUj8hvqFHOOQID8IQ==
------------------[ End Ciphire Signed Message ]----------------
--
To unsubscribe, e-mail: debate-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
For additional commands, e-mail: debate-help@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx