Intrinsic Id B.v.

Intrisic Id B.v.

Erik Van Der Sluis

Geert Jan Schrijen

Roel Maes

Vincent Van Der Leest

Petrus Wijnandus Simons

Marten Van Hulst

Pim Theo Tuyls

Helena Handschuh

Franciscus Maria Joannes Willems

Bart Karel Benedikt Preneel

Héléna Handschuh

Some embodiments relate to an electronic cryptographic device () arranged to determine a cryptographic key. The cryptographic device is arranged for an enrollment phase and a later reconstruction phase. The cryptographic device comprising a physically unclonable function (PUF) () and a processor circuit. The circuit being configured to determine during the enrollment phase debiasing data (), first noise reduction data () and first noise reduction data. The circuit being configured to during the reconstruction phase compute at least one cryptographic key from first corrected bits and second corrected bits.

Key derivation from PUFs

Some embodiments are directed to an electronic cryptographic device arranged to determine a cryptographic key. The cryptographic device can include a physically unclonable function (PUF) arranged to produce a first noisy bit string during the enrollment phase and a second noisy bit string during the reconstruction phase, and a statistical unit arranged to execute a statistical test for verifying correct functioning of the physical unclonable function. The statistical test computes a statistical parameter for the physical unclonable function using helper data. The statistical test determines correct functioning if the statistical parameter satisfies a criterion of the statistical test.

Cryptographic device having physical unclonable function

Some embodiments are directed to an electronic cryptographic device including a physically unclonable function and an enrollment unit configured to generate a first PUF data during the enrollment phase, the first PUF data derived from a first noisy bit string of the PUF, the first PUF data uniquely identifying the physically unclonable function, the first PUF data including a first helper data. The first PUF data is transmitted to an electronic server during an enrollment phase. The device includes a use-phase unit configured to generate a second PUF data derived from a second noisy bit string during a use phase. The first helper data is received from the server in response to transmitting the second PUF data. An error corrector is configured to apply the first helper data to the second noisy bit string.

Cryptographic device comprising a physical unclonable function

Some embodiments are directed to an electronic cryptographic device configured to determine a cryptographic key. The cryptographic device has a physically unclonable function, a debiasing unit, and a key reconstruction unit. The PUF is configured to produce a first noisy bit string during an enrollment phase and a second noisy bit string during a reconstruction phase. The debiasing unit () is configured to determine debiasing data from the first noisy bit string during the enrollment phase. The debiasing data marks bits in the first noisy bit string as retained or discarded. The key reconstruction unit is configured to determine the cryptographic key from bits in the second noisy bit string marked as retained by the debiasing data, the cryptographic key being independent from bits in the second noisy bit string marked as discarded by the debiasing data.

Cryptographic key production from a physical unclonable function

An electronic systemfor generating a cryptographic key, the system comprising

System for generating a cryptographic key from a memory used as a physically unclonable function

A cryptographic system for reproducibly establishing a reliable data string, such as a cryptographic key, from a noisy physically unclonable function (PUF,) is provided. The system comprises a hard decision decoder () to decode a first multiple of error correctable data words to obtain a second multiple of corrected and decoded data words and a reliability information extractor () to determine reliability information, e.g. soft decision information, that is indicative of a reliability of corrected and decoded data words. The system further comprises a soft decision decoder () configured to use the reliability information to decode at least one further correctable data word. Error correcting a PUF using reliability information decreases the false rejection rate.

Physically unclonable function (PUF) with improved error correction

A random number generating system for generating a sequence of random numbers comprising a memory, the memory being writable, volatile and configured such that the memory contains an at least partially random memory content upon each powering-up of the memory, an instantiating unit configured for seeding the random number generating system with a seed dependent upon the at least partially random memory content, the sequence of random numbers being generated in dependence upon the seed, and an over-writing unit configured for over-writing at least part of the memory with random numbers generated by the random number generating system in dependence upon the seed.

Random number generating system based on memory start-up noise

A physical unclonable function is provided, comprising a plurality of bus-keepers, each bus-keeper of the plurality of bus-keepersbeing configured to settle into one of at least two different stable states upon power-up, the particular stable state into which a particular bus-keeper of the plurality of bus-keepers settles being dependent at least in part upon the at least partially random physical characteristics of the particular bus-keeper, and a reading circuitfor reading the plurality of stable states into which the plurality of bus-keepers settled after a power-up, the plurality of bus-keepers being read-only.

Physical unclonable function

An electric physical unclonable function (PUF) () is provided comprising a semiconductor memory element () connectable to a PUF control means for reading content from the memory element and for deriving at least in part from said content a digital identifier, such as a secret key. Upon powering the memory element it settles into one of at least two different stable states. The particular stable state into which the memory element settles is dependent at least in part upon random physical characteristics of the memory element introduced during manufacture of the memory element. Settling of the memory element is further dependent upon a control input () of the memory element. The electric physical unclonable function comprises shielding means () for shielding, during a time period including the power-up of the memory element and lasting at least until the settling of the memory element, the control input from receiving control signals upon which the particular stable state into which the memory element settles is dependent. In this way, the dependency of the memory element on its physical characteristics is improved, and dependency on possibly irreproducible control signals is reduced.

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Utrecht, Netherlands

Erik Van Der Sluis