Security concerns and solutions for unattended ground sensors

Ronald Knobler; Robert Fish; Barry Jones; Patrick Schaumont; Michael Gora

doi:10.1117/12.818759

5 May 2009 Security concerns and solutions for unattended ground sensors

Ronald Knobler, Robert Fish, Barry Jones, Patrick Schaumont, Michael Gora

Proceedings Volume 7333, Unattended Ground, Sea, and Air Sensor Technologies and Applications XI; 73330A (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.818759
Event: SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing, 2009, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

McQ has developed and delivered numerous unattended ground sensor (UGS) systems for a variety of applications. The systems provide flexible, wireless communications and numerous options for enabling the user to configure the system for a specific mission. This flexibility is a two-edged sword as it provides both the intended user with the functionality they desire, but also a set of vulnerabilities if a malicious user (e.g. political enemy or competitor) would attempt to disable or reverse engineer the system. McQ has developed various layers of security to address: secure program and data storage on off-chip non-volatile memory; secure access to JTAG on COTS processors and DSPs typically incorporated in the design of embedded systems used for remote sensors; authentication of sensors nodes, relays, and portable user interfaces used in the field that may be compromised; and the management of keys and other security-related data that is required to be stored and maintained in a distributed system. The associated challenges with securing embedded systems typically found in UGS will be described, as well as an overview of the solution that was developed and incorporated into McQ's systems to mitigate the vulnerabilities.

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Ronald Knobler, Robert Fish, Barry Jones, Patrick Schaumont, and Michael Gora "Security concerns and solutions for unattended ground sensors", Proc. SPIE 7333, Unattended Ground, Sea, and Air Sensor Technologies and Applications XI, 73330A (5 May 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.818759

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KEYWORDS

Sensors

Telecommunications

Digital signal processing

Integrated circuits

Computer security

Unattended ground sensors

Manufacturing

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