Atmel Corporation

Balaji Badam

Kerry D Maletsky

David Durant

John Landreman

Michael J Seymour

Brad Phillip Garner

An integrated circuit device comprises a processor and a secure protection zone with security properties that can be verified by a remote device communicating with the integrated circuit device. The secure protection zone includes a persistent storage that is configured for storing cryptographic keys and data. The secure protection zone also includes instructions that are configured for causing the processor to perform cryptographic operations using the cryptographic keys. In addition, the secure protection zone includes an ephemeral memory that is configured for storing information associated with the cryptographic operations. The instructions are configured for causing the processor to perform the cryptographic operations on the data stored in the persistent storage and the information in the ephemeral memory as part of a secure communication exchange with the remote device.

Generating signatures using a secure device

A method and device include a power pin, a ground pin, and a communications pin. A communications module receives power from the power pin and utilizes an edge counting communication protocol over the communication pin.

Single pin communication mechanism

A hardware authentication device is disclosed that uses a cryptographic signature verification operation to authorize a subsequent cryptographic operation to be performed using the same or different keys and stores that authorization status in protected memory. The cryptographic algorithm may be an ECDSA signature, SHA-based Message Authentication Code (MAC) or any other cryptographic algorithm. The authorization status may be stored for a number of uses for a period of time or until a certain event occurs. In some implementations, the authorization status and the key that was authorized are stored in the same protected location in memory to preserve their relation to each other and prevent modification of either of them. Depending on system policy, the authorization mechanism might be a static stored external token that authorizes key use or an authorization process that is regenerated using a random (e.g., unique) number.

Stored authorization status for cryptographic operations

Systems and techniques for performing cryptographic operations based on public key validity registers are described. A described system includes a controller and a memory structure to store one or more public keys. The memory structure includes one or more validity registers that respectively correspond to the one or more public keys. The controller has exclusive write access to the validity register. The controller can be configured to perform an authentication of a public key, write an authentication status value to the corresponding validity register based on a result of the authentication, and perform one or more cryptographic operations using the public key that are conditional on the validity register indicating an authenticated status for the public key.

Stored public key validity registers for cryptographic devices and systems

Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to provide, to a memory device, an obfuscated clear-page address derived from a clear-page address that is not the same as a key-page address and/or providing, to the memory device, an obfuscated key-page address derived from the key-page address when the obfuscated clear-page address is the same as the key-page address. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

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Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Balaji Badam